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NATURAL  HISTORY 

or 
THE  GLOBE,  OF  MAN,  AND  OF  QUADRUPEDS 

FROM  THE 

WRITINGS  OF  BUFFON,  CIJV1ER,  LACEPEDE. 


BUFFON'S 


a. 


tgl  NATURAL  HISTORY  ! 

yivfl 


OK 


MAN,  THE  GLOBE, 

AND  OF 

QUADRUPEDS 


N  E  \V    V  O  R  K  : 
L  E  A  V  I  T  T     &     ALLEN 


B  U  F  F  O  N  '  S 


^ 


NATURAL  HISTORY 


or 


MAN,  THE  GLOBE, 


WITH    ADDITlOxNS    HRO.VI    CUVIER,    LACEPEDE.    AND 
OTHER  EMINENT  NATURALISTS. 


VOL  II. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  150  ENGRAVINOS. 


NEW    YORK: 
PUBLISHED  BY  LEAVITT  &  ALLEN, 

No.     879    BROADWAY. 
1857. 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 

PART    I. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Of  carnivorous  Animals  continued — The  Brown  Bear 
—The  White  Bear— The  American  Black  Bear— 
The  Grizzly  Bear— The  Thibet  Bear— The  Bornean 
Bear — The  Large-lipped  Bear — The  Beaver — The 
Racoon — The  Brown  Coati — The  Agouti. 

THE  BEAR. 

THERE  is  no  animal  more  generally  known  than  ihe 
Bear,  and  yet  there  is  none  concerning  which  more 
differences  and  contradictions  have  been  found  among 
the  writers  of  natural  history.  These  uncertainties 
have  arisen  from  their  not  distinguishing  properly  the 
different  species.  The  land  Bear  must  be  distinguished 
from  the  sea  Bear,  which  is  commonly  known  by  the 
name  of  the  white  or  Greenland  Bear ;  and  the  land 
Bears  must  again  be  divided  into  two  species,  the  brown 
and  the  black.  There  are  also  white  land  Bears  found 
in  Tartary,  Russia,  &c.  which,  though  they  resemble 
the  sea  Bear  in  colour,  differ  from  it,  however,  in  every 
other  particular.  It  is  not  the  rigour  of  the  climate 
that  makes  them  white  in  winter,  like  the  hares  and 
ermines ;  they  are  brought  forth  white,  and  remain  so 
all  tfteir  lives.  There  are  also  found  Bears  whose 
skins  are  a  mixture  of  brown  and  black,, which  denotes 
an  intermediate  species  between  the  white  land  Bear 
and  the  brown  black  Bear. 

THE  BROWN   BEAR 

WE  meet  with  the  Brown  Bear  very  frequently,  and 
with  the  black  Bear  very  rarely,  on  the  Alps.     In  the 
forests  of  the  northern  countries  of  Europe  and  Ame- 
rica, on  the  contrary,  the  black  Bear  is  very  common. 
VOL.  II.— 1* 


6  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

The  latter  is  both  fierce  and  carnivorous  ;  the  former 
is  only  fierce,  and  constantly  refuses  to  eat  flesh. 

The  Bear  is  not  only  a  savage,  but  a  solitary  animal; 
he  takes  refuge  in  the  most  unfrequented  parts,  and  the 
most  dangerous  precipices  of  uninhabited  mountains. 
He  chooses  his  den  in  the  most  gloomy  parts  of  the 
forest,  in  some  cavern  that  has  been  hollowed  by  time, 
or  in  the  hollow  of  some  old  enormous  tree.  Thither 
he  retires  alone,  and  passes  a  part  of  the  winter  without 
provisions,  or  without  ever  stirring  abroad.  He  is  not, 
however,  entirely  deprived  of  sensation,  like  the  dor- 
mouse or  the  marmot,  but  seems  rather  to  subsist  upon 
the  exuberance  of  his  former  flesh,  and  only  feels  the 
calls  of  appetite  when  the  fat  he  had  acquired  in  sum- 
mer begins  to  be  considerably  wasted. 

When  this  happens,  which  we  are  told  it  generally 
does  at  the  expiration  of  forty  or  fifty  days,  the  male 
forsakes  his  den ;  but  the  female  remains  confined  for 
four  months  :  by  which  time  she  has  brought  forth  her 
young.  That  the  latter  should  not  only  be  able  to 
subsist,  but  even  to  nurse  their  offspring,  without 
receiving  themselves  any  food  for  such  a  length  of 
time,  is  highly  improbable.  When  with  young,  how- 
ever, it  is  allowed  that  they  are  exceedingly  fat,  as 
also  that,  being  covered  with  a  very  thick  coat,  sleep- 
ing the  greatest  part  of  their  time,  and  giving  them- 
selves no  exercise  or  motion,  they  must  necessarily 
lose  very  little  by  perspiration. 

Though  the  males  of  the  brown  species  devour  their 
new-born  little  ones,  when  they  find  an  opportunity 
for  it,  yet  the  females  seem,  on  the  contrary,  to  love 
them  with  a  ferocious  distraction.  When  once  they 
have  brought  forth,  their  fury  is  more  violent,  as  well 
as  more  dangerous,  than  that  of  the  males.  Before  the 
young  leave  the  womb,  their  formation  is  perfect :  and 
if  either  the  foetus  of  the  Bear,  or  the  Bear  when  newly 
born,  appears  at  the  first  glance  unformed,  it  is  merely 
because  there  is  a  want  of  proportion  in  the  body  and 
members  even  of  the  grown  bear,  and  because,  which 
is  well  known  to  be  the  case  in  all  animals,  the  foetus, 
or  the  new-born  animal,  is  always  more  disproportioned 
than  the  grown  animal. 

The  voice  of  the  Bear  is  a  kind  of  growl,  a  harsh 
murmur,  which,  when  enraged  especially,  is  heightened 


THE  BEAR 


b)  a  clashing  of  the  teeth.  Highly  susceptible  of 
anger,  that  anger  is  always  furious,  and  often  capri- 
cious. However  mild  he  may  appear  before  his  mas- 
ter,  .and  even  obedient  when  tamed,  he  ought  still  to 
be  distrusted,  still  treated  with  circumspection  ;  nor, 
on  any  account,  must  he  be  struck  on  the  tip  of  the 
nose,  or  touched  on  the  parts  of  generation. 

This  animal  is  capable  of  some  degree  of  instruction. 
There  are  few  who  have  not  seen  him  stand  on  his 
hind  legs,  or  with  these  dance  in  rude  and  awkward 
measure  to  tunes  either  sung  or  played  on  an  instru- 
ment. But,  even  in  thus  tutoring  him,  it  is  necessary 
in  order  to  succeed,  that  the  animal  should  be  taken 
young,  and  held  in  constraint  ever  after.  The  Bear 
which  has  passed  his  youth,  is  not  to  be  tamed,  nor 
even  held  in  awe,  and  shows  himself,  if  not  actively 
intrepid,  at  least  fearless  of  danger. 

The  wild  Bear  turns  not  from  his  path,  nor  offers  to 
shun  the  sight  of  man  ;  and  yet,  it  is  said,  by  a  certain 
whistle  he  may  be  surprised,  and  so  far  charmed  as  to 
stop,  and  stand  upon  his  hind  feet.  This  is  the  time 
to  shoot,  or  by  one  method  or  other  to  destroy  him  ; 
lor,  when  only  wounded  in  an  attack,  he  darts  with 
fury  at  his  foe,  and,  clasping  him  with  his  fore  paws, 
is  sure  to  stifle  or  strangle  him,  unless  immediate 
assistance  be  giv*n. 

The  Bear  enjoys  the  senses  of  seeing,  hearing,  and 
feeling,  m  great  perfection;  and  yet,  compared  with 
the  size  of  his  body,  his  eye  is  very  small  ;  his  ears  are 
also  short  ;  his  skin  is  coarse  ;  and  his  hair  very  thick 
His  smell  is  exquisite  more  so,  perhaps,  than  that  of 
any  other  animal,  the  internal  surface  of  his  nose  beinir 
very  extensive,  and  excellently  calculated  to  receive 
the  impression  of  smells.  He  strikes  with  his  paws  as 
a  man  strikes  with  his  fists  ;  but  in  whatever  particu- 
ars  he  may  bear  a  rude  kind  of  resemblance  to  the 
human  species,  he  is  only  rendered  the  more  deformed 
by  them  ;  nor  do  they  give  him  the  smallest  superiority 
over  other  animals.  ! 

In  no  part  of  the  world,  perhaps,  are  Bears  more 
numerous  than  at  Kamstchatka,  and  no  where  are  they 
so  gentle.  They  rove  about  the  plains  in  large  droves, 
yet  they  never  disturb  the  women  and  girls,  who  gather 
roots  and  herb?,  or  turf  for  fuel,  in  the-  very  midst  01 


g  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

them;  nay,  they  will  even  eat  out  of  thiir  hands. 
Their  mildness,  however,  does  not  preserve  them  from 
being  persecuted  by  mankind.  For  this  ingratitude 
tnan°has,  indeed,  some  excuse,  in  the  great  utility  of 
the  spoils  of  the  Bear.  The  Kamstchadale  would  rind 
it  much  more  diflicult  to  subsist,  did  not  the  Bear  sup- 
ply him  with  many  necessary  articles.  Beds,  cover- 
lets, caps,  gloves,  shoe-soles,  and  collars  for  sledge 
dogs,  are  made  of  the  skin  ;  the  fat  is  savoury  and 
nutritious  as  food,  and  when  melted  is  used  as  oil ;  the 
flesh  is  highly  esteemed;  the  shoulder  blades  are 
converted  into  sickles  for  cutting  grass  ;  the  intestines, 
when  prepared,  are  worn  by  the  women  as  masks,  to 
protect  the  face  from  the  sun,  and  are  also  converted 
into  excellent  panes  for  windows ;  and  the  heads  and 
haunches  are  hung  on  trees,  around  the  dwellings,  as 
ornaments,  or  as  trophies.  To  the  Bear  the  Kamstcha- 
dale is  likewise  indebted  for  his  scanty  knowledge  of 
physic  and  surgery,  which  he  acquires  by  noticing 
what  herbs  the  animal  applies  to  his  wounds,  or  eats 
when  he  is  labouring  under  disease ;  and  to  the  Bear, 
too,  he  owes  all  his  ideas  of  dancing,  his  Bear  dance, 
as  he  calls  it,  being  nothing  more  than  a  close  imitation 
of  his  shaggy  quadruped  instructers. 

THE   WHITE,   OR  POLAR   BEAR. 

UNLIKE  his  Kamstchatkan  brother,  the  Polar  Bear 
is  distinguished  by  his  tremendous  ferocity.  In  size, 
too,  it  far  surpasses  him,  as  it  sometimes  reaches  the 
length  of  twelve  feet.  Its  head  and  neck  are  more 
lengthened,  and  the  body  is  longer  in  proportion  to  its 
bulk.  In  the  Polar  seas  it  may  literally  be  said  to 
swarm.  There,  it  is  seen  not  only  on  the  land  and 
fixed  ice,  but  on  floating  ice  several  leagues  out  at  sea. 
In  the  latter  manner  White  Bears  are  sometimes  con- 
veyed to  Iceland,  where  they  are  so  much  dreaded  by 
the  inhabitants  that  a  crusade  is  immediately  com- 
menced against  them.  At  sea,  the  food  of  this  animal 
is  fish,  seals,  and  the  carcasses  of  whales  ;  on  land,  it 
preys  upon  deer  and  other  animals,  and  will  eat  various 
kinds  of  berries.  In  winter,  it  beds  itself  deeply  under 
the  snow  or  eminences  of  ice,  and  awaits,  in  a  torpid 
state,  the  return  of  the  siu>.  ft  suffers  exceedingly 
when  exposed  to  great  heat 


THE   BEiR.  V 

Ol  the  ferocity  of  the  Polar  Bear,  Barents,  gives  a 
striking  proof.  In  Nova  Zembla  they  attacked  his 
sailors,  carried  them  offin  their  mouths  with  the  utmost 
facility,  and  devoured  them  in  sight  of  their  comrades. 
A  few  years  ago  some  sailors  in  a  boat  fired  at  and 
wounded  one.  In  spite  of  his  receiving  another  shot, 
he  swarn  after  the  boat,  and  endeavoured  to  climb  into 
it.  One  of  his  feet  was  cut  off  with  a  hatchet,  but  he 
still  pursued  the  aggressors  to  the  ship.  Numerous 
additional  wounds  did  not  check  his  fury  ;  mutilated  as 
he  was,  he  ascended  the  ship's  side,  drove  the  sailors 
into  the  shrouds,  and  was  following  them  thither,  when 
a  mortal  shot  stretched  him  dead  on  the  deck. 

But  even  this  formidable  animal  is  not  without  its 
good  qualities.  It  is  a  faithful  mate  and  an  affectionate 
parent.  Hearne  tells  us  that,  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  the  males  are  so  much  attached  to  their  mates, 
that  he  has  often  seen  one  of  them,  on  a  female  being 
killed,  come  and  put  his  paws  over  her,  and  rather 
suffer  himself  to  be  shot  than  abandon  her. 

"While  the  Carcase  frigate,  which  went  out  some 
years  ago  to  make  discoveries  towards  the  North  Pole, 
was  locked  in  the  ice,  early  one  morning  the  man  at 
the  masthead  gave  notice  that  three  Bears  were  making 
their  way  very  fast  over  the  frozen  ocean,  and  were 
directing  their  course  towards  the  ship.  They  had 
no  doubt,  been  invited  by  the  scent  of  some  blubber  ot 
a  walrus  that  the  crew  had  killed  a  few  days  before  , 
which  had  been  set  on  fire,  and  was  burning  on  the  ice 
at  the  time  of  their  approach.  They  proved  to  be  a 
she  Bear  and  her  two  Cubs;  but  the  Cubs  were  nearly 
as  large  as  the  dam.  They  ran  eagerly  to  the  fire,  and 
drew  out  of  the  flames  part  of  the  flesh  of  the  walrus 
that  remained  unconsumed,  and  ate  it  voraciously. 
The  crew  from  the  ship  threw  upon  the  ice  great  lumps 
of  the  flesh  of  the  sea  horse,  which  they  had  still 
remaining.  These  the  old  Bear  fetched  away  singly, 
laid  every  lump  before  her  Cubs  as  she  brought  it,  and 
dividing  it,  gave  to  each  a  share,  reserving  but  a  small 
portion  to  herself.  As  she  was  fetching  away  the  last 
piece,  the  sailors  levelled  their  muskets  at  the  Cubs, 
and  shot  them  both  dead  ;  and  in  her  retreat  they 
wounded  the  dam,  but  not  mortally.  It  would  have 
drawn  tears  of  pity  from  any  but  unfeeling  minds,  to 


TO  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

have  marked  the  affectionate  concern  expressed  by  this 
poor  beast  in  the  last  moments  of  her  expiring  young 
ones.  Though  she  was  herself  dreadfully  wounded, 
and  could  but  just  crawl  to  the  place  where  they  lay, 
she  carried  the  lump  of  flesh  she  had  fetched  away,  as 
she  had  done  others  before,  tore  it  in  pieces,  and  laid 
it  before  them  ;  and  when  she  saw  that  they  refused  to 
eat,  she  laid  her  paws  first  upon  one,  and  then  upon 
ihe  other,  and  endeavoured  to  raise  them  up  ;  all  this 
while  it  was  pitiful  to  hear  her  moan.  When  she  found 
she  could  not  stir  them,  she  went  off,  and  when  she 
had  got  to  some  distance,  she  looked  back  and  moaned. 
Finding  this  to  no  purpose,  she  returned,  and  smelling, 
round  them,  began  to  lick  their  wounds.  She  went  off 
a  second  time  as  before ;  and,  having  crawled  a  few 
paces,  looked  again  behind  her,  and  for  some  time 
stood  moaning.  But  still  her  Cubs  not  rising  to  follow 
her,  she  returned  to  them  again ;  and,  with  signs  of 
inexpressible  fondness,  went  round,  pawing  them  and 
moaning.  Finding  at  last  that  they  were  cold  and 
lifeless,  she  raised  her  head  towards  the  ship,  and 
uttered  a  growl  of  despair,  which  the  murderers  re- 
turned with  a  volley  of  musket  balls.  She  fell  between 
her  Cubs,  and  died  licking  their  wounds." 

Mr.  Scoresby  mentions  a  singular  circumstance  with 
respect  to  a  part  of  this  animal.  "  The  liver,  I  may 
observe,  as  a  curious  fact  (says  he),  is  hurtful,  and  even 
deleterious  ;  while  the  flesh  and  liver  of  the  seal,  on 
which  it  chiefly  feeds,  are  nourishing  and  palatable. 
Sailors  who  have  inadvertently  eaten  the  liver  of  Bears, 
have  almost  always  been  sick  after  it;  some  have  ac- 
tually died;  and  the  effect  on  others  has  been  to  cause 
the  skin  to  peel  off  their  bodies.  This  is,  perhaps, 
almost  the  only  instance  known  of  any  part  of  the  flesh 
of  a  quadruped  proving  unwholesome." 

THE    AMERICAN    BLACK    BEAR. 

THIS  animal  is  found,  in  considerable  numbers,  in  the 
northern  districts  of  America.  In  size  and  form  he 
approaches  nearest  to  the  Brown  Bear  ;  but  his  colour 
is  a  uniform  shining  jet  black,  except  on  the  muzzle, 
where  it  is  fawn  coloured;  on  the  lips  and  sides  of  the 
mouth  it  is  almost  gray.  The  hair,  except  on  the 


THE    BEAR.  it 

muzzle,  is  long  and  straight,  and  is  less  shaggy  than  in 
most  other  species.  The  forehead  has  a  slight  eleva- 
tion, and  the  muzzle  is  elongated,  and  somewhat  flat- 
tened above.  The  young  ones,  however,  are  first  of  a 
bright  ash  colour,  which  gradually  changes  into  a  deep 
brown,  and  ends  by  becoming  a  deep  black. 

The  American  Black  Bear  lives  a  solitary  life  in 
forests  and  uncultivated  deserts,  and  subsists  on  fruits, 
and  on  the  young  shoots  and  roots  of  vegetables.  Of 
honey  he  is  exceedingly  fond,  and,  as  he  is  a  most 
expert' climber,  he  scales  the  loftiest  trees  in  search  of 
it.  Fish,  too,  he  delights  in,  and  is  often  found  in 
quest  of  it  on  the  borders  of  lakes  and  on  the  seashore. 
When  these  resources  fail,  he  will  attack  small  quad- 
rupeds, and  even  animals  of  some  magnitude.  As, 
indeed,  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the  love  of  flesh  in  him 
grows  with  the  use  of  it. 

As  the  fur  is  of  some  value,  the  Indians  are  assiduous 
in  the  chase  of  the  creature  which  produces  it.  "About 
the  end  of  December,  from  the  abundance  of  fruits 
they  find  in  Louisiana  and  the  neighbouring  countries, 
the  bears  become  so  fat  and  lazy  that  they  can  scarcely 
run.  At  this  time  they  are  hunted  by  the  American 
Indians.  The  nature  of  the  chase  is  generally  this : 
the  Bear  chiefly  adopts  for  his  retreat  the  hollow  trunk 
of  an  old  cypress  tree,  which  he  climbs,  and  then  de- 
scends into  the  cavity  from  above.  The  hunter  whose 
business  it  is  to  watch  him  into  this  retreat,  climbs  a 
neighbouring  tree,  and  seats  himself  opposite  to  the 
hole.  In  one  hand  he  holds  his  gun,  and  in  the  other 
a  torch,  which  he  darts  into  the  cavity.  Frantic  with 
rage  and  terror,  the  Bear  makes  a  spring  from  his 
station ;  but  the  hunter  seizes  the  instant  of  his  appear- 
ance,  and  shoots  him. 

"The  pursuit  of  these  animals  is  a  matter  of  the  first 
importance  to  some  of  the  Indian  tribes,  and  is  never 
undertaken  without  much  ceremony.  A  principal  war- 
rior gives  a  general  invitation  to  all  the  hunters.  This 
is  follow  ed  by  a  strict  fast  of  eight  days,  in  which  they 
totally  ebstain  from  food  ;  but  during  which  the  day  is 
passed  .n  continual  song.  This  is  done  to  invoke  the 
spirits  of  the  woods  to  direct  the  hunters  to  the  places 
where  there  are  abundance  of  Bears.  They  even  cut 
the  flesh  n  diver?  parts  of  their  bodies,  to  render  the 


12  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

spirits  more  propitious.  They  also  address  themselvi  s 
to  the  manes  of  the  beasts  slain  in  the  preceding  chases, 
and  implore  these  to  direct  them  in  their  dreams  to  an 
abundance  of  game.  The  chief  of  the  hunt  now  gives 
a  great  feast,  at  which  no  one  dares  to  appear  without 
first  bathing.  At  this  entertainment,  contrary  to  their 
usual  custom,  they  eat  with  great  moderation.  The 
master  of  the  feast  touches  nothing ;  but  is  employed 
in  relating  to  the  guests  ancient  tales  of  feats  in  former 
chases ;  and  fresh  invocations  to  the  manes  of  the  de- 
ceased Bears  conclude  the  whole. 

*'  Then  they  sally  forth,  equipped  as  if  for  war,  and 
painted  black ;  and  they  proceed  on  their  way  in  a 
direct  line,  not  allowing  rivers,  marshes,  or  any  other 
impediment  to  stop  their  course,  and  driving  before 
them  all  the  beasts  they  find.  When  they  arrive  at 
the  hunting  ground,  they  surround  as  large  a  space  as 
they  can ;  and  then  contract  their  circle,  searching  at 
the  same  time  every  hollow  tree,  and  every  place 
capable  of  being  the  retreat  of  a  Bear ;  and  they  con- 
tinue the  same  practice  till  the  chase  is  expired. 

"  As  soon  as  a  Bear  is  killed,  a  hunter  puts  into  his 
mouth  a  lighted  pipe  of  tobacco,  and  blowing  into  it, 
fills  the  throat  with  the  smoke,  conjuring  the  spirit  of 
the  animal  not  to  resent  what  they  are  about  to  do  to 
its  body,  or  to  render  their  future  chases  unsuccessful 
As  the  beast  makes  no  reply,  they  cut  out  the  string 
of  the  tongue,  and  throw  it  into  the  fire.  If  it  crackle 
and  shrivel  up  (which  it  is  almost  sure  to  do),  they 
accept  this  as  a  good  omen  ;  if  not,  they  consider  that 
the  spirit  of  the  beast  is  not  appeased,  and  that  the 
chase  of  the  next  year  will  be  unfortunate." 

In  the  Tower  menagerie  there  is  a  very  tame  and 
playful  American  Bear,  which  was  presented  to  it  in 
1824.  He  was  originally  in  the  same  den  with  the 
hyaena,  and,  except  at  feeding  times,  was  on  good 
terms  with  his  companion.  A  piece  of  meat,  however, 
would  occasionally  produce  a  temporary  dissension 
between  them;  in  which  the  hyaena,  though  the  small- 
est of  the  two,  had  usually  the  upper  hand.  On  scuh 
occasions,  the  defeated  Bear  would  moan  most  pite- 
ously,  in  a  tone  somewhat  like  a  sheep  bleating,  while 
the  hyaena  devoured  the  remainder  of  his  dinner. 


THE     BEAR.  J3 


THE    GRIZZLY    BEAR. 

LIKE  the  American  black  Bear,  this  animal  inhabit* 
the  northern  part  of  America;  but,  unlike  him,  he  is, 
perhaps  the  most  formidable  of  all  Bears  in  magnitude 
and  ferocity.  He  averages  twice  the  bulk  of  the  black 
Bear,  to  which,  however,  he  bears  some  resemblance 
in  his  slightly  elevated  forehead,  and  narrow,  flattened 
elongated  muzzle.  His  canine  teeth  are  of  great  size 
and  power.  The  feet  are  enormously  large ;  the 
breadth  of  the  fore-foot  exceeding  nine  inches,  and  the 
length  of  the  hind-foot  exclusive  of  the  talons,  being 
eleven  inches  and  three  quarters,  and  its  breadth  seven 
inches.  The  talons  sometimes  measure  more  than  six 
inches.  He  is,  accordingly,  admirably  adapted  for 
digging  up  the  ground,  but  is  unable  to  climb  trees,  in 
which  latter  respect  he  differs  wholly  from  every  other 
species.  The  colour  of  his  hair  varies  to  almost  an 
indefinite  extent,  between  all  the  intermediate  shades 
of  a  light  gray  and  a  black  brown  ;  the  latter  tinge, 
however,  being  that  which  predominates.  It  is  always 
in  some  degree  grizzled,  by  intermixture  of  grayish 
hairs,  only  the  brown  hairs  being  tipped  with  gray. 
The  hair  itself  is,  in  general,  longer,  finer,  and  more 
exuberant  than  that  of  the  black  Bear. 

The  neighbourhood  of  the  rocky  mountains  is  one 
of  the  principal  haunts  of  this  animal.  There,  amidst 
wooded  plains,  and  tangled  copses  of  bough  and  under- 
wood, he  reigns  as  much  the  monarch  as  the  lion  is  of 
the  sandy  wastes  of  Africa.  Even  the  bison  cannot 
withstand  his  attack.  Such  is  his  muscular  strength 
that  he  will  drag  the  ponderous  carcass  of  the  animal 
to  a  convenint  spot,  where  he  digs  a  pit  for  its  recep- 
tion. The  Indians  regard  him  with  the  utmost  terror. 
His  extreme  tenacity  of  life  renders  him  still  more 
dangerous  ;  for  he  can  endure  repeated  wounds  which 
would  be  instantaneously  mortal  to  other  beasts,  and, 
in  that  state,  cau  rapidly  pursue  his  enemy.  So  that 
the  hunter  who  fails  to  shoot  him  through  the  brain,  is 
placed  in  a  most  perilous  situation. 

A  grizzly  Bear  has  now  been  for  seventeen  years 
an  inhabitant  of  the  Tower  Menagerie,  and  is  known 
by  the  name  of  Old  Martin.  He  s  >ems  to  have  Ion* 
VOL  II,—? 


14  NATUBAL    HISTORY. 

none  of  his  original  ferocity,  and  manifests  no  attach- 
ment to  his  keepers. 

THE  THIBET  BEAR. 

THE  epithet  prefixed  to  the  name  of  this  animal  suf- 
ficiently indicates  the  country  to  which  the  creature  be- 
longs. The  species,  however,  unless  Cuvier  and  others 
are  in  error,  is  also  to  be  found  in  Sumatra.  It  is  par- 
ticularly distinguished  from  the  Malay  and  the  large- 
lipped  Bears  by  the  thickness  of  its  neck,  and  the 
flatness  of  its  head.  It  has  a  compact  body  and  heavy 
limbs,  and  its  claws  are  little  more  than  half  as  long  as 
those  of  the  other  Indian  Bears.  The  ears  are  very 
large.  The  muzzle  is  moderately  thick,  and  somewhat 
lengthened ;  the  upper  part  black,  with  a  slightly  red- 
dish tint  on  the  sides,  the  edges  of  the  lips  flesh  co- 
loured, and  the  hair  smooth.  From  the  back  part  of 
<he  head,  however,  the  hair  becomes  shaggy.  A  uni- 
form jet  black  is  its  invariable  colour,  except  on  the 
lower  lip,  which  is  white  ;  and  so  also  is  a  patch  on  the 
front  of  the  neck,  shaped  like  the  letter  Y,  the  oblique 
lines  of  which  pass  in  front  of  the  shoulders,  while  the 
lower  line  occupies  the  middle  of  the  chest. 

THE  BORNEAN   BEAR. 

IN  one  point  this  native  of  Borneo  differs  strikingly 
from  the  other  Bears — its  head,  instead  of  being  flat- 
tened, is  nearly  hemispherical  above,  rising  in  a  strong 
arch  immediately  behind  its  obtuse  and  gradually  at- 
tenuated nose.  Its  mouth  is  very  expansible,  and  has 
a  long,  narrow,  extensile  tongue,  which  the  owner  can 
protrude  nearly  a  foot,  and  then  curve  spirally  inwards ; 
a  process  which  it  frequently  performs.  The  claws  are 
very  long,  firmly  arched,  tapering  gradually  to  the 
point,  and  well  calculated  for  digging  the  earth.  Its 
short,  glistening  fur,  rather  rigid,  yet  soft  to  the  touch, 
is  a  fine  jet  black  on  the  body,  head,  and  extremities. 
The  muzzle  is  of  a  yellowish  brown,  and  the  anterior 
part  of  the  neck  has  a  large  broad  patch  of  a  more 
bright  and  nearly  orange  tint,  and  an  irregular  quadran- 
gular form,  deeply  notched  above. 

"  It  arrived  in  this  country  (says  the  author  of  '  Tin 


THE    BEAR.  15 

Tower  Menagerie,')  about  four  years  ago,  and  formed 
until  lately  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  interesting 
spectacles  among  the  animals  confined  in  the  menage- 
rie. It  was  brought  from  Borneo  when  very  young, 
and  during  its  passage  was  the  constant  associate  of  a 
monkey  and  several  other  young  animals.  It  was  thus 
domesticated  in  early  life,  and  its  manners  in  confine- 
ment greatly  resembled  those  of  the  Malayan  Bear 
observed  by  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  to  which  it  was  pro- 
bably not  inferior  in  sagacity  or  intellect.  It  could  rest 
entirely  on  its  posterior  feet,  and  could  even  raise  itself 
without  difficulty  to  a  nearly  erect  posture ;  but  was  more 
generally  seen  in  a  sitting  attitude  at  the  door  of  its 
apartment,  eagerly  surveying  the  visiters  and  attracting 
their  attention  by  the  uncouthness  of  its  form,  and  the 
singularity  of  its  motions.  When  a  morsel  of  bread  or 
cake  was  held  at  a  small  distance  beyond  its  reach,  it 
would  expand  the  lateral  aperture  of  its  nostrils  and 
thrust  forward  its  upper  lip  as  a  proboscis  in  a  most 
ludicrous  manner,  at  the  same  time  making  use  of  its 
paws  to  seize  the  object.  After  obtaining  it  and  filling 
its  mouth,  it  would  place  the  remainder  with  great 
calmness  on  its  posterior  feet,  and  bring  it  in  succes 
sive  portions  to  its  mouth.  When  craving  for  food, 
and  also  while  consuming  it,  it  emitted  a  coarse,  but 
not  unpleasant,  whining  sound,  accompanied  by  a  low 
grunting  noise  ;  but  if  teased  at  this  time,  it  would  sud- 
denly raise  its  voice  to  a  harsh  grating  tone.  It  was 
excessively  voracious,  and  appeared  disposed  to  eat 
almost  without  cessation;  a  propensity  which  finally 
cost  it  its  life,  having  overgorged  itself  at  breakfast  one 
morning  in  the  course  of  last  summer,  during  the  hot 
weather,  iind  dying  within  ten  minutes  afterwards. 
This  was  a  severe  loss  to  Mr.  Cops,  (the  keeper)  who 
prized  it  highly,  and  to  whom,  in  return,  it  was  greatly 
attached.  On  seeing  its  keeper  it  would  often  place 
itself  in  a  variety  of  attitudes,  to  court  his  attention  and 
caresses,  extending  its  nose  and  anterior  feet,  or,  sud- 
denly turning  round,  exposing  its  back  and  waiting  for 
several  minutes  in  this  posture  with  its  head  placed  on 
the  ground.  It  delighted  in  being  patted  and  rubbed, 
even  by  strangers  ;  but  violently  resented  abuse  and  ill 
treatment.  Its  principal  food  was  bread," 


]£  KATURAL    HISTORY. 

THE  LARGE-LIPPED  BEAR. 

THIS  animal,  which  was  first  brought  from  India 
about  forty  years  ago,  was  at  first  misnamed  the  Five- 
fingered,  or  Ursine  Sloth.  It  has,  however,  nothing  in 
common  with  the  family  of  the  sloths  ;  but  is  a  genuine 
Bear.  This  curious  quadruped  is  said  to  have  been 
brought  from  the  interior  part  of  Bengal,  where  it  bur- 
rows in  the  ground.  It  is  covered  with  black,  shaggy 
hair,  which  on  the  back  is  twelve  inches  long,  where  it 
divides  and  forms  a  kind  of  bunch.  The  hair  on  its 
head  is  short,  and  the  snout  is  of  a  yellowish  white. 
The  tail  is  so  short  as  to  be  scarcely  visible.  Its  lips 
are  thin  and  very  long,  and  furnished  with  muscles,  by 
which  it  can  protrude  them  in  a  most  singular  manner, 
Its  legs  and  feet  resemble  those  of  the  common  Bear, 
and  on  each  foot  it  has  five  long,  crooked,  white  claws, 
which  it  uses  either  together  or  separately,  like  fingers 
to  break  its  food,  and  convey  it  to  the  mouth.  It  has 
no  cutting  teeth,  but  two  very  strong  canine  teeth,  and 
six  grinders  in  each  jaw. 

It  is  a  gentle  but  sluggish  animal,  and  feeds  on  bread, 
fruit,  nuts,  honey,  or  fat,  but  refuses  roots,  and  the  lean 
and  muscular  parts  of  flesh.  In  general  its  motions 
are  slow  and  languid  ;  but  when  disturbed  or  irritated, 
it  appears  rather  lively,  and  utters  a  kind  of  short,  ab- 
rupt roar. 

THE  BEAVER. 

IN  all  countries,  as  man  is  civilized  and  improved, 
the  lower  ranks  of  animals  are  depressed  and  degraded. 
Either  reduced  to  servitude,  or  treated  as  rebels,  all 
their  societies  are  dissolved,  and  all  their  united  talents 
rendered  ineffectual.  Their  feeble  arts  quickly  disap- 
pear ;  and  nothing  remains  but  their  solitary  instincts, 
or  those  foreign  habitudes  which  they  receive  from 
human  education. 

The  Beaver  seems  to  be  now  the  only  remaining 
monument  of  that  kind  of  intelligence  in  brutes,  which, 
though  infinitely  inferior,  as  to  its  principle,  to  that  01 
man,  supposes,  however,  cei  tain  common  projects, 
certain  relative  ends  in  view,  projects  which,  having 
for  their  basis  society,  in  like  manner,  suppose  some 


THE    BEATER.  17 

particular  method  of  understanding  one  another,  and 
of  acting  in  concert. 

It  is  allowed,  that  the  Beaver,  far  from  having  an  ab 
solute  superiority  over  the  other  animals,  seems,  on  the 
contrary,  to  be  inferior  to  some  of  them  as  to  its  qua- 
lities merely  as  an  individual ;  and  this  fact  is  confirmed 
by  observing  a  young  Beaver,  which  was  sent  to  Paris 
from  Canada  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1758.  It  is 
an  animal  tolerably  mild,  tranquil,  and  familiar,  though 
rather,  it  would  seem,  gloomy  and  melancholy.  If  we 
consider  this  animal,  therefore,  in  its  dispersed  and 
solitary  state,  we  shall  find,  that,  as  to  internal  quali- 
ties, it  is  not  superior  to  other  animals  ;  that  it  has  not 
more  ingenuity  than  the  dog,  more  sense  than  the  ele- 
phant, or  more  cunning  than  the  fox.  It  is  rather  re- 
markable for  the  singularities  of  its  internal  qualities. 
Of  quadrupeds,  the  Beaver  alone  has  a  flat  oval  tail, 
covered  with  scales,  which  serves  as  a  rudder  to  direct 
its  motions  in  the  water.  It  is  the  only  quadruped  that 
has  membranes  between  the  toes  on  the  hind  feet,  and 
at  the  same  time  none  on  the  fore  ones,  which  it  uses 
as  hands  in  carrying  food  to  the  mouth.  It  is  the  only 
one  which,  while  it  resembles  a  terrestrial  animal  in 
its  foreparts,  seems  to  approach  the  nature  of  an  aqua- 
tic being  in  its  hind  ones. 

The  Beavers  begin  to  assemble  in  the  month  of  June 
or  July,  in  order  to  form  a  society,  which  is  to  continue 
for  the  greatest  part  of  the  year.  They  arrive  in  num- 
bers from  every  side,  and  presently  form  a  company  of 
two  or  three  hundred.  The  place  of  meeting  is  com- 
monly the  place  where  they  fix  their  abode ;  and  this 
is  always  by  the  side  of  some  lake  or  river.  If  it  be  a 
lake  in  which  the  waters  are  always  upon  a  level,  they 
dispense  with  building  a  dam  ;  but  if  it  be  a  running 
stream,  which  is  subject  to  floods  and  falls,  they  then 
set  about  building  a  dam,  or  pier,  that  crosses  the  river, 
so  as  to  form  a  dead  water  in  that  part  which  lies  above 
and  below.  This  dam,  or  pier,  is  often  four  score  or  a 
hundred  feet  long,  and  ten  or  twelve  feet  thick  at  the  base. 
If  we  compare  the  greatness  of  the  work  with  the  pow- 
er of  the  architect*,  it  will  appear  enormous  ;  but  the 
solidity  with  which  it  is  built  is  still  more  astonishing 

*  The  largest  Beavers  weigh  from  fifty  to  sixty  pounds,  and,  in  length,  ar» 
«W«  more  than  three  feet  fr>m  the  tip  of  the  snont  to  the  insertion  of  «he  t»U 


19  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

than  its  size.  The  part  of  the  river  over  which  this 
darn  is  usually  built  is  where  it  is  most  shallow,  and 
where  some  great  tree  is  found  growing  by  the  side  of 
the  stream.  This  they  pitch  upon  as  proper  for  making 
the  principal  part  in  their  building  ;  and,  though  it  is 
often  thicker  than  a  man's  body,  they  yet  instantly  set 
about  cutting  it  down.  For  this  operation  they  have 
no  other  instrument  but  their  four  incisive  teeth,  which 
soon  lay  it  level,  and  that  also  on  the  side  they  wish  it 
to  fall,  which  is  always  across  the  stream.  They  then 
set  about  cutting  the  top  branches,  to  make  it  lie  close 
and  even,  and  serve  as  the  principal  beam  of  their  fabric. 

These  operations  are  performed  in  common.  At  one 
time  a  number  of  Beavers  are  employed  together  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree  in  gnawing  it  down ;  and,  when  this 
part  of  their  labour  is  accomplished,  it  becomes  the 
business  of  others  to  sever  the  branches,  while  a  third 
party  are  engaged  along  the  borders  of  the  river,  or 
lake,  in  cutting  other  trees,  which,  though  smaller  than 
the  first  tree,  are  yet  as  thick  as  the  leg,  if  not  the 
thigh,  of  a  common  sized  man.  These  they  carry  with 
them  by  land  to  the  brink  of  the  river,  and  then  by 
water  to  the  place  allotted  for  their  building ;  where, 
sharpening  them  at  one  end,  and  forming  them  into 
stakes,  they  fix  them  in  the  ground,  at  a  small  distance 
from  each  other,  and  fill  up  the  vacant  spaces  with  pli- 
ant branches.  While  some  are  thus  employed  in  fixing 
the  stakes,  others  go  in  search  of  clay,  which  they  pre- 
pare for  their  purpose  with  their  tails  and  their  feet, 
and  with  which,  brought  home  in  large  quantities,  they 
render  their  structure  still  more  compact. 

This  structure  is  so  ingeniously  contrived,  that  it  has 
not  only  all  the  extent,  and  all  the  solidity,  which  are 
requisite,  but  also  a  form  the  most  proper  for  confining 
the  water,  and,  when  it  has  passed  its  bounds,  for 
maintaining  its  weight,  or  baffling  its  attacks.  At  the 
top  of  their  dike  or  mole,  that  is,  at  the  part  where  it 
is  least  thick,  they  form  two  or  threo  openings.  These 
they  occasionally  enlarge  or  contract,  as  the  river  occa- 
sionally rises  or  falls  ;  and  when,  from  inundations 
either  too  powerful  or  too  sudden,  their  works  have 
been  damaged,  they  are,  with  the  utmost  diligence  and 
application,  on  the  retreat  of  the  waters,  immediately 
repaired. 


THE   BEAVER.  19 

After  this  display  of  their  labours  to  accomplish  a 
public  work,  it  would  be  superfluous  to  add  to  it  a  de- 
scription of  their  private  constructions,  were  it  not  that, 
in  history,  an  account  should  be  given  of  every  fact, 
and  that,  in  this  first  grand  work  of  the  Beaver,  the 
intention  uniformly  is,  that  the  little  habitation  of  each 
family  should  be  rendered  more  commodious. 

This  habitation  is  always  furnished  with  two  passages, 
one  for  the  purpose  of  a  land,  and  the  other  of  a  water 
excursion.  In  shape  it  is  almost  always  either  oval  or 
round  ;  sometimes  it  is  from  four  to  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter, and  sometimes  it  consists  of  two,  and  even  three 
stories,  while  the  walls  are  always  two  feet  thick. 
When  it  happens  to  consist  of  but  one  story,  the  walls 
are  but  a  few  feet  high,  over  which  there  is  a  kind  of 
vault,  that  terminates  the  edifice,  and  serves  as  a  co- 
vering for  it.  It  is  constructed  with  such  solidity  as  to 
be  impenetrable  to  the  heaviest  rains,  to  defy  the  most 
impetuous  winds,  and  is  plastered  with  such  neatness, 
both  outwardly  and  inwardly,  that  one  might  actually 
suppose  it  to  be  the  work  of  man.  These  animals, 
nevertheless,  use  no  instrument  for  the  preparation  of 
their  mortar,  but  their  feet,  or  for  the  application  of  it. 
but  their  tails.  They  chiefly  use  such  materials  as  are 
not  easily  dissolved  by  water.  Their  wooden  work  con- 
sists of  such  trees  as  grow  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  as 
these  are  most  easily  cut  down,  stripped  of  their  bark, 
and  carried  ;  and  all  these  operations  they  perform  be- 
fore they  relinquish  a  tree  which  they  have  once  at- 
tacked. They  cut  it  at  the  distance  of  a  foot  or  a  foot 
and  a  half  from  the  ground.  They  sit  as  they  work  ; 
and,  besides  the  advantage  of  this  convenient  posture, 
they  have  the  pleasure  of  continually  gnawing  fresh 
bark  and  soft  wood,  both  which  they  prefer  to  mos* 
other  kinds  of  aliment.  Averse  to  dry  wood,  they  al- 
ways provide  an  ample  store  of  these  for  their  subsist- 
ence during  the  winter.*  It  is  near  their  habitations 
that  they  establish  their  magazines  ;  and  to  each  hut 
or  cabin  there  is  one  allotted,  of  a  size  proportioned  to 
the  number  of  its  inhabitants,  to  which  they  have  all  a 
common  right;  nor  do  they  offer  to  plunder  their 
neighbours. 

'  The  space  allotted  for  the  provision  of  eight  or  ten  Beavers  occiipitt  from- 
W»er  .ty-five  to  thi  ty  feet  squire,  and  from  eight  to  ten  feet  d««p. 


20  NATURAL  H.nfORY. 

Hamlets,  so  to  express  them,  have  been  seen,  com- 
posed of  twenty  and  even  twenty-five  dwellings.  Such 
large  settlements,  however,  are  rare.  In  general,  they 
do  not  contain  more  than  ten  or  a  dozen  families,  each 
of  which  has  its  own  separate  district,  magazine,  and 
habitation ;  nor  will  it  allow  any  strangers  to  settle 
within  its  enclosure.  The  smallest  dwellings  contain 
two,  four,  and  six ;  the  largest,  eighteen,  twenty,  and 
it  is  even  said  thirty  beavers ;  and  it  seldom  or  never 
happens  that  the  number  of  males  and  females  is  not 
upon  a  par.  Moderately  speaking,  therefore,  their 
society  may  be  said  to  consist  frequently  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  or  two  hundred  workmen,  who,  having 
first  exerted  their  united  industry  and  diligence  in 
rearing  a  grand  public  work,  afterwards  form  them- 
selves into  different  bodies,  in  order  to  construct  pri- 
vate habitations. 

However  numerous  the  republic  of  Beavers  may  be, 
peace  and  good  order  are  uniformly  maintained  in  it. 
A  common  series  of  toil  has  strengthened  they-  union  ; 
the  conveniences  which  they  have  procured  for  each 
other,  and  the  abundance  of  provisions  which,  after 
having  amassed,  they  continue  to  consume  together, 
render  them  happy  within  themselves  ;  and,  having 
moderate  appetites,  entertaining  even  an  aversion  to 
blood  and  carnage,  they  have  not  the  smallest  propen- 
sity to  hostility  or  rapine,  but  actually  enjoy  all  the 
blessings  which  man  is  only  born  to  desire.  Friends  to 
each  other,  if  threatened  by  any  enemies  from  abroad 
they  know  how  to  avoid  them ;  and  for  this  purpose, 
on  the  first  alarm,  they  give  notice  of  their  mutual 
danger,  by  striking  the  water  with  their  tails,  which 
sends  forth  a  sound  that  is  heard  in  their  most  distant 
dwellings.  On  this  occasion,  each  Beaver,  as  he  thinks 
most  expedient,  plunges  into  the  water,  or  conceals 
himself  within  the  walls  of  his  own  habitation,  which 
is  in  no  danger  but  from  the  fire  of  the  angry  heavens, 
or  from  the  weapons  of  man,  and  which  no  animal 
dares  attempt  to  open  or  to  overturn. 

These  asylums  are  not  only  secure,  but  also  very 
neat  and  commodious.  The  floor  is  covered  with  ver- 
dure, young  and  tender  branches  of  trees  serving  them 
for  a  carpet,  on  which  they  never  permit  any  of  their 
excrements  to  be  left.  The  window  which  fronts  the 


THE   B£AV£R.  21 

water  serves  them  for  a  balcony,  from  which  they 
enjoy  the  fresh  air,  and  bathe  themselves  the  greatest 
part  of  the  day.  In  the  water  they  remain  in  an  up- 
right posture,  the  head  and  fore  parts  only  being  visi- 
ble. This  element  is,  indeed,  so  necessary  to  them, 
or  rather  gives  them  so  much  pleasure,  that  they  seem 
unable,  as  it  were,  to  live  without  frequent  immersions 
in  it.  Sometimes  they  go  to  a  considerable  distance 
under  the  ice ;  and  then  they  are  easily  taken,  by 
attacking  the  dwelling  on  one  hand,  and  laying  in 
wait  for  them,  at  the  same  time,  at  a  hole  which  is 
purposely  formed  a  little  way  off  in  the  ice,  and  to 
which  they  are  obliged  to  come  for  breath. 

The  habit  which  this  animal  has,  of  continually 
keeping  the  tail  and  all  the  hind  parts  of  the  body  in 
the  water,  seems  to  have  changed  the  nature  of  its 
flesh.  That  of  the  fore  parts,  till  we  come  to  the  reins, 
is  of  the  same  quality,  taste,  and  consistency  as  the 
flesh  of  land  animals  ;  that  of  the  tail,  and  of  the  hind 
legs  and  thighs,  has  the  smell,  the  savour,  and  all  the 
qualities  of  fish.  As  for  the  tail,  in  particular,  it  is 
even  an  extremity,  an  actual  portion,  of  a  fish  fixed  to 
the  body  of  a  quadruped.  In  length  it  generally  mea- 
sures a  foot,  in  thickness  an  inch,  and  in  breadth  five 
or  six  inches.  It  is  entirely  covered  over  with  scales, 
and  has  a  skin  altogether  the  same  as  that  of  a  large 
fish. 

The  females  are  said  to  go  four  months  with  young. 
They  bring  forth  about  the  close  of  winter,  and  their 
number  generally  consists  of  two  or  three  at  a  time. 
Nearly  at  this  period  the  males  leave  them,  and  go 
forth  into  the  fields,  where  they  enjoy  all  the  sweets  of 
the  spring.  In  this  season  they  pay  occasional  visits 
to  their  habitation,  but  never  reside  in  it.  There,  how- 
ever, the  females  remain  employed  in  suckling,  tend- 
ing, and  rearing  their  little  ones,  who  are  in  a  condition 
to  follow  them  at  the  expiration  of  a  few  weeks.  They 
then,  in  their  turn,  go  abroad,  where  they  feed  on  fish, 
or  on  the  bark  of  young  trees,  and  pass  the  whole  of 
their  time  upon  the  water,  or  among  the  woods. 

Winter  is  the  season  which  is  principally  allotted  for 
hunting  them,  as  it  is  then  only  that  their  fur  is  in  per- 
fection ;  and  when,  after  thsir  fabrics  are  demolished, 
a  great  numbej  happen  t3  be  taken,  their  society  if 


g»>  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

never  restored  ;  the  few  that  have  escaped  captivit)  ->i 
death,  disperse  themselves,  and  become  houseless  wan- 
derers ;  or  concealed  in  some  hole  under  ground,  and 
reduced  to  the  condition  of  other  animals,  they  lead  a 
timid  life,  no  longer  employ,  themselves  but  to  satisfy 
their  immediate  and  most  urgent  wants,  no  longer  re- 
tain those  faculties  and  qualities  which  they  eminently 
possess  in  a  state  of  society. 

We  meet  with  Beavers  in  America  from  the  thir- 
tieth degree  of  north  latitude  to  the  sixtieth,  and  even 
beyond  it.  In  the  northern  parts  they  are  very  com 
mon;  and  the  farther  south  we  proceed,  their  numbe- 
is  still  found  to  decrease.  The  same  observation  holds 
with  respect  to  the  Old  Continent  :  we  never  find  them 
numerous  but  in  the  more  northern  countries  ;  and  in 


France,  Spain,  Italy,  Greece,  and  Egypt,  they  are  ex- 
ceedingly rare.  They  formerly  inhabited  both  Eng- 
land and  Wales,  but  have  long  been  extinct  in  both. 


Giraldus  Cambrensis  states  them  to  have  frequented 
the  river  Tievi,  in  Cardiganshire.  They  must,  how- 
ever, have  been  uncommon,  as  in  the  tenth  century, 
the  Welsh  laws  valued  a  Beaver  skin  at  the  enormous 
sum  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  pence.  The  ancients 
knew  them  :  and  by  the  religion  of  the  Magi  it  was  for- 
bidden to  kill  them. 

Several  authors  have  said,  that  the  Beaver,  being  an 
aquatic  animal,  could  not  live  solely  on  land.  This 
opinion,  however,  is  erroneous;  for  the  Beaver  which 
was  mentioned  in  a  preceding  paragraph,  having  been 
taken  when  quite  young  in  Canada,  and  always  reared 
in  the  house,  did  not  know  the  water  when  he  wa 
brought  to  it,  was  afraid  of  it,  and  refused  to  go  into  it. 
Even  when  first  plunged  into  a  basin,  there  was  a 
necessity  for  keeping  him  in  it  by  force.  A  few 
minutes  after,  nevertheless,  he  became  so  well  recon- 
ciled to  it,  that  he  no  longer  showed  an  aversion  to  his 
new  situation  ;  and,  when  afterwards  left  to  his  liberty. 
he  frequently  returned  to  it  of  himself,  and  wrould  even 
roll  about  in  the  dirt,  and  upon  the  wet  pavement. 
One  day  he  made  his  escape,  and  descended  by  a  cellar 
staircase  into  the  quarries  under  the  Royal  Garden. 
There  he  swam  to  a  considerable  distance  on  the  stag- 
nated waters  which  are  at  the  bottom  of  those  quar- 
ries ;  yet  no  sooner  did  he  see  the  light  of  the  torcnes 


THE   BEAVER.  !W 

which  were  ordered  down  for  the  purpose  oi  finding 
him,  than  he  returned,  and  allowed  himself  to  be  taken 
without  making  the  smallest  resistance. 

He  is  an  animal  familiar  without  being  fawning;  and 
when  he  sees  people  at  table,  he  is  sure  to  ask  for 
something  to  eat.  This  he  does  by  a  little  plaintive 
cry,  and  by  a  few  gestures  of  his  fore-paws.  When 
he  has  obtained  a  morsel,  he  carries  it  away,  and  con- 
ceals himself,  in  order  to  eat  it  at  his  ease.  In  several 
instances  he  has  been  cempletely  domesticated,  and 
become  as  docile  as  a  dog.  When  he  sleeps,  which 
he  does  very  often,  he  lies  upon  his  belly.  No  food 
comes  amiss  to  him,  meat  excepted  ;  and  this  he  con- 
stantly refuses,  either  raw  or  boiled.  He  gnaws  every 
thing  he  comes  near;  and  it  was  found  necessary  to 
line  with  tin  the  tun  in  which  he  was  brought  over. 

Independently  of  the  fur,  which  is  indeed  the  most 
valuable  article  furnished  by  the  Beaver,  this  animal 
furnishes  a  substance  that  has  been  considerably  used 
in  medicine.  This  substance,  which  is  known  by  the 
name  of  castor,  is  contained  in  two  bladders.*  The 
savages,  it  is  said,  obtain  an  oil  from  the  tail  of  the  Bea- 
ver, which  they  employ  as  a  topical  remedy  for  different 
complaints.  The  flesh  of  this  animal,  though  fat  and 
delicate,  is  yet  bitter,  and  disagreeable  to  the  palate. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  hair  on  the  skin  of  the  Bea- 
ver ;  that  next  the  skin  is  short,  and  as  fine  as  down ; 
the  upper  coat  is  scantier,  thicker,  and  longer.  The 
Jowny  hair  is  manufactured  into  hats,  stockings,  caps, 
and  other  articles.  The  skin  is  so  considerable  an 
article  of  traffic,  that  the  species  which  produces  it 
will,  perhaps,  at  length,  be  exterminated.  At  one  sale, 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  sold  about  fifty-four  thou- 
sand ;  and,  in  1798,  a  hundred  and  six  thousand  were 
exported  to  Europe  and  China  from  Canada  alone. 

The  senses  of  the  Beaver  are  very  acute  ;  and  so 
Delicate  is  its  smell,  that  it  will  suffer  no  filth,  no  bad 
stench,  to  remain  near  it.  When  kept  too  long  in 
confinement,  and  under  a  necessity  of  voiding  its  ex- 
erement,  it  drops  them  near  the  threshold  of  its  prison, 
and,  when  the  door  is  opened,  is  sure  to  push  them  out. 

*  It  is  pretended  that  the  Beavers  extract  the  liquid  which  is  contained  in 
these  bladders,  by  pressing  them  with  the  foot ;  and  that  it  gives  them  nn  appe- 
tite when  they  are  averse  to  food.  The  truth,  however,  seems  to  be,  that  th« 
Wiii.ial  uses  this  li  t».*d  in  order  to  grease  its  tail. 


34  JfATURAL  HISTORY.  • 

THE  RACOON 

Is  an  animal  of  about  the  same  size  as  a  small  badger; 
its  oody  is  short  and  bulky ;  its  fur  is  fine,  long,  thick, 
blackish  at  the  surface,  and  gray  towards  the  bottom ; 
its  head  like  that  of  a  fox,  but  its  ears  are  round  and 
shorter ;  its  eyes  are  large,  of  a  yellowish  green,  and 
over  them  there  is  a  black  and  transverse  stripe ;  its 
snout  is  sharp ;  its  tail  is  thick,  but  tapering  towards  a 
point,  and  marked  alternately  from  one  end  to  the  other 
with  black  and  white  and  brownish  rings,  and  is  at 
least  as  long  as  the  body ;  its  fore  legs  are  much 
shorter  than  the  hind  ones,  and  both  are  armed  with 
five  strong.,  sharp  claws. 

This  animal,  while  eating,  usually  supports  itself  on 
its  hind  legs,  and  uses  its  paws  to  hold  its  food,  and  it 
can  open  an  oyster  with  the  utmost  dexterity.  If  water 
be  near,  it  in  general  dips  its  food  into  it.  By  its 
pointed  claws  it  is  enabled  to  climb  trees  with  great 
facility.  It  runs  up  the  trunk  with  the  same  swiftness 
that  it  moves  over  the  plain,  and  frolics  about  to  the 
extremity  of  the  branches  with  great  security  and  ease : 
on  the  ground,  indeed,  it  rather  bounds  than  runs,  aifll 
its  motions,  though  singularly  oblique,  are  yet  always 
quick  and  expeditious. 

The  Racoon  is  a  native  of  ftorth  America  and  the 
West  Indies,  nor  has  it  ever  yet  been  found  in  any 
part  of  the  Old  Continent. 

He  may  be  tamed  without  difficulty,  and  is  then  very 
good-natured  and  sportive,  but  is  as  mischievous  as  a 
monkey,  and  seldom  remains  at  rest.  Of  ill  treatment 
he  is  extremely  sensible,  and  rifever  forgives  those 
from  whom  he  has  received  it.  He  has  also  an  antipa- 
thy to  sharp  and  harsh  sounds,  such  as  the  bark  of  a 
dog  and  the  cry  of  a  child.  His  fur  is  used  by  the 
hatters,  his  skin  is  converted  into  gloves  and  upper 
leather  for  shoes,  and  his  flesh  is  considered  as  a  deli- 
cacy by  the  negroes. 

THE  BROWN  COATI. 

THIS  animal,  of  which  we  are  now  about  to  treat, 
many  authors  have  called  coati-mondi.  It  is  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  anima.  described  in  the  preceding  arti- 


THE  AGOUTI.  35 

cle.  It  is  of  a  smaller  size  than  the  racoon ;  its  body 
and  neck,  its  head  and  nose,  are  of  a  more  lengthened 
form  ;  its  upper  jaw  is  an  inch,  or  an  inch  and  a  half, 
longer  than  the  lower  one ;  and  its  snout,  which  is 
moveable  in  every  direction,  turns  up  at  the  point. 
The  eyes  of  the  Coati  are  also  smaller  than  the  eyes 
of  the  racoon,  and  are  surrounded  by  three  white 
spots ;  its  hair  is  longer  and  coarser,  its  legs  are 
shorter,  and  its  feet  longer ;  but,  like  the  racoon,  its 
tail  is  diversified  with  rings,  alternately  black  and  ful 
vous ;  and  to  all  its  feet  there  are  five  claws. 

This  animal  has  a  practice  of  eating  its  own  tail, 
which,  when  not  mutilated,  is  longer  than  its  body,  and 
which  it  generally  rears  aloft,  and  can  move  v/ith  oase 
in  any  direction. 

From  this  circumstance  one  general  inference  may 
be  drawn;  namely,  that  in  those  parts  which  are  elon- 
gated to  a  great  degree,  and  of  which  the  extremities 
are  consequently  very  remote  from  the  seat  of  the 
senses,  from  the  centre  of  feeling,  that  feeling  must  be 
weak,  and  the  more  so,  the  greater  the  distance  and 
the  smaller  the  part. 

As  for  the  Coati  in  other  respects,  it  is  an  animal  of 
prey,  which  subsists  on  flesh  and  blood,  which,  like  the 
fox,  destroys  small  animals  and  poultry,  hunts  for  the 
nests  of  little  birds,  and  devours  their  eggs  ;  and  it  is 
probably  from  this  conformity  of  disposition,  that  some 
authors  have  considered  the  Coati  as  a  species  of  small 
fox.  It  inhabits  the  woods  of  South  America.  In 
pursuit  of  its  prey,  it  climbs  trees  with  much  agility. 
When  tamed,  which  it  easily  is,  it  is  fond  of  being 
caressed,  but  does  not  become  much  attached  to  its 
owner. 

THE  AUGOUTI. 

THIS  animal  is  about  the  size  of  a  hare,  and  has  been 
considered,  erroneously,  as  a  kind  of  rabbit,  or  large 
rat,  by  the  generality  of  nomenclators.  As  it  has  the 
hair  of  a  hog,  so  also  it  has  the  voracious  appetite  of 
that  animal.  It  eats  indiscriminately  of  all  things  ;  and 
when  satiated,  it  hides  the  remainder,  like  the  dog  or 
the  fox,  for  a  future  occasion. 

It  does  not,  like  the  rabbit,  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground 
but  burrows  in  the  holes  of  tr*»es.  Its  ordinary  food 
VOL.  II.— 3 


^6  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

consists  of  the  roots  of  the  country,  potatoes,  yam* 
and  such  fruits  as  fall  from  the  trees  in  autumn.  I 
uses  its  fore  paws  like  the  squirrel,  to  carry  its  food  to 
its  mouth  ;  and  as  its  hind  fetft  are  longer  than  the  fore 
ones,  it  runs  very  swiftly  upon  plain  ground,  or  up  a 
hill,  but  upon  a  descent  it  is  in  danger  of  falling.  Its 
eight  is  excellent;  its  hearing  equals  that  of  any  other 
animal ;  and  whenever  it  is  whistled  to,  it  stops  to 
hearken.  The  flesh  is  dressed  like  that  of  a  sucking 
pig,  and  of  such  as  are  well  fed,  is  tolerable  food, 
though  it  has  always  a  peculiar  taste,  and  is  rather 
rough. 

It  is  hunted  by  dogs  ;  and  whenever  it  goes  into  a 
sugar-ground,  where  the  canes  cover  the  place,  it  is 
easily  overtaken  ;  for  it  is  embarrassed  every  step  it 
takes,  so  that  a  man  may  easily  come  up  with  it,  and 
kill  it  without  any  other  assistance  than  a  stick.  When 
in  the  open  country,  it  usually  runs  with  great  swift- 
ness before  the  dogs  until  it  gains  its  retreat,  within 
which  it  continues  to  hide,  and  nothing  but  filling  the 
hole  with  smoke  can  force  it  out.  For  this  purpose 
the  hunter  burns  faggots  or  straw  at  the  entrance,  and 
conducts  the  smoke  in  such  a  manner  that  it  fills  the 
whole  cavity.  While  this  is  doing,  the  poor  little  ani- 
mal seems  sensible  of  its  danger,  begs  for  quarter  with 
a  most  plaintive  cry,  but  seldom  quits  its  hole  till  the 
utmost  extremity. 

The  Agouti  seems  to  be  a  native  of  the  south  parts 
of  America  ;  nor  k  at  all  known  in  the  Old  Continent. 
It  is,  however,  very  common  in  "Brazil,  Guiana,  St 
Domingo,  and  all  the  islands  around.  To  the  cold  and 
temperate  regj  >ns  of  America  this  animal  is  aii  uite* 
stranger. 


THE  LION. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Of  Carnivorous  Animals  continued — The  Lion — The 
Bengal  Lion — The  Lioness  and  her  Cubs — The 
Cape  Lion — The  Puma,  or  American  Lion — The 
Tiger — The  Leopard — The  Jaguar — The  Panther 
—  The  Chetah — The  Lynx — The  Caracal — The 
Striped  Hyaena — The  Spotted  Hyana — The  Civet 
and  Zibet— The  Javanese  Civet— The  Genet— The 
Paradoxorus — The  Prehensile  Paradoxorus — The 
Ond<r*ra,  and  Desman. 

THE  LION. 

IT  has  been  remarked,  that  in  all  hot  climates,  the 
terrestrial  animals  are  larger  and  stronger  than  in  cold 
or  temperate  ono*.  They  are  also  bolder  and  more 
ferocious,  all  their  natural  qualities  seeming  to  partake 
of  the  ardour  of  the  climates  in  wkich  they  live.  The 
Lion,  born  beneath  the  burning  sun  of  Africa,  or  of 
India,  is  above  all  others  the  fiercest  and  most  terrible. 
Our  wolves,  our  other  carnivorous  animals,  far  from 
being  his  rivals,  are  hardly  worthy  to  be  his  providers. 
The  Lions  of  America  (if,  indeed,  they  deserve  to  be 
called  Lions)  are,  like  the  climate  in  which  they  are 
produced,  infinitely  milder  than  those  of  Africa ;  and, 
what  plainly  proves  that  the  degree  of  fierceness  in, 
this  animal  depends  on  the  degree  of  heat,  is,  that,  even 
in  the  same  country,  those  which  inhabit  the  high 
mountains,  where  the  air  is  more  temperate,  are  differ- 
ent in  disposition  from  those  that  dwell  in  the  plains, 
where  the  heat  is  excessive. 

As  the  Lion  has  no  enemy  but  man,  and  his  species 
is  now  probably  reduced  to  the  fiftieth  part  of  what  it 
formerly  was,  it  follows,  that  the  human  race,  instead 
of  having  suffered  a  considerable  diminution  since  the 
time  of  the  Romans,  is,  on  the  contrary,  more  nume- 
rous and  niore  generally  diffused.  This  superiority  in 
the  numbers,  and  the  arts  of  the  human  species,  while 
it  suffices  to  conquer  the  Lion,  serves  also  to  enervate 
and  to  discourage  him  ;  for  he  is  brave  only  in  propor- 
tion to  the  success  of  his  former  encounters.  Accus- 
tomed to  measure  his  strength  with  every  animal  he 


28  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

meets,  the  habit  of  conquering  renders  him  iutrepid 
and  terrible.  Having  never  experienced  the  dangerous 
arts  and  combinations  of  man,  these  animals  have  no 
apprehensions  from  his  power.  They  boldly  face  him. 
and  seem  to  brave  the  force  of  his  arms.  They  are 
not  daunted  even  with  the  opposition  of  numbers  :  a 
single  Lion  of  the  desert  often  attacks  an  entire  cara- 
van ;  and,  after  an  obstinate  combat,  when  he  finds 
himself  overpowered,  instead  of  flying,  he  continues  to 
combat,  retreating,  and  still  facing  the  enemy  till  he 
dies.  On  the  contrary,  the  Lions  which  inhabit  the 
peopled  countries  of  Morocco,  or  India,  having  become 
acquainted  with  man,  and  experienced  the  superiority 
of  his  arms,  have  lost  all  their  courage,  so  as  to  be 
scared  away  with  a  shout;  and  seldom  attack  any  but 
the  unresisting  flocks  or  herds,  which  even  women  and 
children  are  sufficient  to  protect. 

The  outward  form  of  the  Lion  seems  to  speak  the 
superiority  of  his  internal  qualities.  His  figure  is 
striking,  his  look  confident  and  bold,  his  gait  proud, 
and  his  voice  terrible.  His  stature  is  not  overgrown, 
like  that  of  the  elephant,  or  the  rhinoceros  ;  nor  is  the 
shape  clumsy,  like  that  of  the  hippopotamus,  or  the 
ox.  He  is  in  every  respect  compact  and  well  propor- 
tioned, a  perfect  model  of  strength  joined  with  agility. 

His  force  and  ftiuscular  power  he  manifests  out- 
wardly by  his  prodigious  leaps  and  bounds ;  by  the 
strong  and  quick  agitation  of  h's  tail,  which  alone  is 
sufficient  to  throw  a  man  on  the  ground  ;  by  the  faci- 
lity with  which  he  moves  the  skin  of  his  face,  and  par- 
ticularly that  of  his  forehead,  which  adds  greatly  to  his 
physiognomy,  or  rather  to  the  expression  of  fury  in 
his  countenance  ;  and  lastly,  by  the  facility  he  has  ol 
shaking  his  mane,  which  is  not  only  bristled  up,  but 
moved  and  agitated  on  all  sides  when  he  is  enraged. 

The  largest  Lions  are  about  eight  or  nine  feel  in 
length,  from  the  snout  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail, 
which  is  of  itself  four  feet  long;  and  these  large  Lions 
are  about  four  or  five  feet  in  height.  Those  of  the 
small  size  are  about  five  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  and 
three  and  a  half  in  height.  In  all  her  dimensions,  the 
Lioness  is  about  one  fourth  less  than  the  Lion. 

The  Lion  is  furnished  with  a  mane,  which  becomes 
longer  in  p-oportion  as  he  advances  in  age.  Thr 


Lioness,  however,  is  without  this  appendage  at  every 
age.  The  American  animal,  which  the  natives  of  Peru 
call  PUMA,  and  to  which  the  Europeans  have  given  the 
denomination  of  Lion,  has  no  mane ;  it  is  also  much 
smaller,  weaker,  and  more  cowardly  than  the  real 
Lion.  In  truth,  it  is  more  than  doubtful  whether  these 
animals  are  at  all  of  the  same  species. 

Both  the  ancients  and  the  moderns  allow  that  the 
Lion,  when  newly  born,  is  in  size  hardly  superior  to  a 
weasel;  in  other  words,  that  he  is  not  more  than  six 
or  seven  inches  long ;  and  if  so,  some  years  at  least 
must  necessarily  elapse  before  he  can  increase  to  eight 
or  nine  feet.  They  likewise  mention,  that  he  is  not 
in  a  condition  to  walk  till  two  months  after  he  is 
brought  forth  ;  but,  without  giving  entire  credit  to 
these  assertions,  we  may,  with  great  appearance  of 
truth,  conclude  that  the  Lion,  from  the  largeness  of  his 
size,  is  at  least  three  or  four  years  in  growing,  and 
that,  consequently,  he  must  live  seven  times  three  or 
four  years,  that  is,  about  twenty-five  years. 

It  is  usually  supposed  that  the  Lion  is  not  possessed 
of  the  sense  of  smelling  in  such  perfection  as  most 
other  animals  of  prey.  It  is  also  remarked,  that  too 
strong  a  light  incommodes  him ;  that  he  seldom  goes 
abroad  in  the  middle  of  the  day  ;  that  he  commits  all 
his  ravages  in  the  night ;  and  that  when  he  sees  a  fire 
kindled  near  a  herd  or  flock,  he  will  not  venture  near 
it;  that  though  his  sight  is  bad,  it  is  not,  however,  so 
faulty  as  his  smell  ;  and  that,  unlike  the  dog  or  the 
wolf,  he  rather  hunts  by  the  former  than  by  the  latter. 

The  Lion,  when  hungry,  boldly  attacks  all  animals 
that  come  in  his  way;  but,  as  he  is  very  formidable,  and 
as  they  all  seek  to  avoid  him,  he  is  often  obliged  to 
hide,  in  order  to  take  them  by  surprise.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  crouches  upon  his  belly,  in  some  thicket,  or 
among  the  long  grass,  which  is  found  in  many  parts  of 
the  forest.  In  this  retreat  he  continues,  with  patient 
expectation,  until  his  prey  comes  within  a  proper  dis- 
tance ;  and  he  then  springs  after  it  with  such  force, 
that  he  often  seizes  it  at  the  first  bound.  If  he  misses 
the  effort,  a-nd  in  two  or  three  reiterated  springs  can- 
not seize  his  prey,  he  continues  motionless  for  a  time, 
seems  to  be  very  sensible  of  his  disappointment,  and 
waits  for  a  more  favourable  opportunity.  He  devours 
3* 


30  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

a  great  deal  at  a  time,  and  generally  fills  himseli  for 
two  or  three  days  to  come.  His  teeth  are  so  strong 
that  he  very  easily  breaks  the  bones,  and  swallows 
them  with  the  rest  of  the  body.  It  is  reported  that  he 
sustains  hunger  a  very  long  time ;  but  thirst  he  cannot 
support  in  an  equal  degree,  his  temperament  being 
extremely  hot.  He  drinks  as  often  as  he  meets  with 
water,  lapping  like  a  dog.  He  generally  requires 
about  fifteen  pounds  of  raw  flesh  in  a  day  ;  and  seldom 
devours  the  bodies  of  animals  when  they  begin  to 
putrefy  ;  but  he  chooses  rather  to  hunt  for  fresh  spoil 
than  return  to  that  which  he  had  half  devoured  before. 
While  young  and  active,  the  Lion  subsists  on  what  he 
can  obtain  by  the  chase,  and  seldom  quits  his  native 
deserts  and  forests ;  but  when  he  becomes  old,  heavy, 
and  less  qualified  for  exercise,  he  approaches  the  habi- 
tations of  man,  to  whom,  and  to  domestic  animals,  he 
then  becomes  a  more  dangerous  enemy.  It  is  observed, 
however,  that  when  he  sees  men  and  animals  together, 
it  is  always  on  the  latter,  never  on  the  former,  that  he 
vents  his  fury  ;  unless  indeed  he  should  be  struck,  and 
then,  at  no  loss  to  know  whence  the  blow  came,  he 
instantly  deserts  his  prey,  in  order  to  obtain  revenge  for 
the  injury.  The  flesh  of  the  camel  he  is  said  to  prefer 
to  that  of  any  other  animal.  He  is  likewise  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  that  of  young  elephants,  which,  from 
their  inability  to  resist  him  till  they  have  received  the 
assistance  of  their  tusks,  he  easily  despatches,  when 
unprotected  by  the  dam  ;  nor  are  there  any  animals 
able  to  oppose  the  Lion,  but  the  elephant,  the  rhino 
ceros,  the  tiger,  and  the  hippopotamus. 

However  terrible  this  animal  may  be,  it  is  not  un- 
common, with  dogs  of  a  large  size,  and  well  supported 
with  a  proper  number  of  men  on  horseback,  to  chase 
him,  dislodge  him,  and  force  him  to  retire.  But  for 
this  enterprise  it  is  necessary  that  the  dogs  and  even 
the  horses,  should  be  previously  disciplined ;  since 
almost  all  animals  tremble  and  fly  at  the  very  smell  of 
the  Lion. 

Though  the  skin  of  the  Lion  is  firm  and  compact,  it 
is  not,  however,  proof  against  a  musket  ball,  nor  even 
a  javelin ;  but  he  is  seldom  known  to  be  despatched 
with  one  blow.  Like  the  wolf,  he  is  frequently  taken 
by  stratagem  ;  anc1  for  this  purpose  a  deep  hole  is  dug 


THE  LION.  3) 

In.  the  earth,  over  which,  when  slightly  covered  with 
earth  and  sticks,  some  living  animal  is  fastened  as  3 
bait.  When  thus  entrapped,  all  his  fury  subsides ; 
and  if  advantage  is  taken  of  the  first  moments  of  his 
surprise,  or  his  disgrace,  he  may  easily  be  chained, 
muzzled,  and  conducted  to  a  place  of  security. 

The  flesh  of  the  Lion  is  of  a  strong  and  disagreeable 
flavour ;  yet  the  Negroes  and  the  Indians  do  not  dis- 
like it,  and  it  frequently  forms  a  part  of  their  food. 

The  good  qualities,  and  particularly  the  courage  and 
magnanimity,  of  the  Lion  have  been  the  theme  of 
panegyric  to  Buffon,  and  other  writers  on  natural  his- 
tory. Later  naturalists,  however,  are  disposed  to  esti- 
mate his  merits  at  a  much  lower  rate.  "  At  the  time 
when  men  first  adopted  the  Lion  as  the  emblem  of 
courage  (says  that  intelligent  traveller,  Mr.  Burchell) 
it  would  seem  that  they  regarded  great  size  an  1  strength 
as  indicating  it ;  but  they  were  greatly  mistaken  in 
the  character  they  have  given  to  this  indolent,  skulking 
animal,  and  have  overlooked  a  much  better  example 
of  courage,  and  of  other  virtues  also,  in  the  bold  and 
faithful  dog."  Mr.  Barrow  also  brands  him  with  the 
character  of  cowardly  and  treacherous. 

"  His  forbearance  and  generosity  (says  Mr.  Bennett,) 
if  the  facts  be  carefully  investigated,  will  be  found  to 
resolve  themselves  into  no  more  than  this  :  that  in  his 
wild  state  he  destroys  only  to  satiate  his  hunger  or 
revenge,  and  never,  like  the  '  gaunt  wolves '  and  '  sul- 
len tigers,'  of  whom  the  poet  has  composed  his  train, 
in  the  wantonness  of  his  power  and  the  malignity  of 
his  disposition ;  and  that,  when  tamed,  his  hunger 
being  satisfied,  and  his  feelings  being  free  from  irrita- 
tion, he  suffers  smaller  animals  to  remain  in  his  den 
uninjured,  is  familiar  with,  and  sometimes  fond  of,  the 
keeper,  by  whom  he  is  attended  and  fed,  and  will  even, 
when  under  complete  control,  submit  to  the  caresses 
of  strangers. 

"  But  even  this  limited  degree  of  amiability,  which, 
in  an  animal  of  less  formidable  powers,  would  be  con- 
sidered as  indicating  no  peculiar  mildness  of  temper,  is 
modified  by  the  calls  of  hunger,  by  the  feelings  of 
revenge,  which  he  frequently  cherishes  for  a  consider- 
able length  of  time,  and  by  various  other  circum- 
ttancea,  which  render  it  dangerous  to  approach  him 


32  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

unguardedly,  even  in  his  tamest  and  most  domesticated 
state,  without  previously  ascertaining  his  immediate 
slate  of  mind.  On  such  occasions,  no  keeper  possessed 
of  common  prudence  would  be  rash  enough  to  venture 
on  confronting  him  :  he  knows  too  well  that  it  is  no 
boy's  play  to 

seek  the  Lion  in  his  den, 

And  fright  him  there,  and  make  him  tremble  there 

for  in  this  state  of  irritation,  from  whatever  cause  it 
may  have  arisen,  he  gives  free  scope  to  his  natural 
ferocity,  unrestrained  by  that  control  to  which  at 
other  times  he  submits  with  meek  and  unresisting 
patience." 

It  appears,  however,  to  be  a  well-authenticated  fact, 
that  neither  the  Lion  nor  the  tiger  can  bear  the  steady 
gaze  of  the  human  eye,  but  are  completely  cowed  by 
it.  A  writer  in  the  South  African  Journal  says,  "The 
Bechuano  chief,  old  Peyshow  (now  in  Cape  Town) 
conversing  with  me  a  few  days  ago,  said  that  the  Lion 
very  seldom  attacks  man  if  unprovoked  ;  but  will  fre- 
quently approach  within  a  few  paces,  and  survey  him 
steadily;  and  sometimes  he  will  attempt  to  get  behind 
him,  as  if  he  could  not  stand  his  look,  but  was  yet  de- 
sirous of  springing  upon  him  unawares.  If  a  person 
in  such  circumstances  attempts  either  to  fight  or  fly, 
he  incurs  the  most  imminent  peril,  but  if  he  have  suf- 
ficient presence  of  mind  coolly  to  confront  him,  with- 
out appearance  of  either  terror  or  aggression,  the  ani 
mal  will,  in  almost  every  instance,  after  a  little  space, 
retire.  The  overmastering  effect  of  the  human  eye 
upon  the  Lion  has  been  frequently  mentioned,  though 
much  doubted  by  travellers;  but,  from  my  own  inqui- 
ries among  the  *Lion  hunters,  I  am  perfectly  satisfied 
of  the  fact ;  and  an  anecdote  related  to  me  a  few  days 
ago,  by  Major  Macintosh,  proves  that  this  fascinating 
effect  is  not  restricted  to  the  Lion.  An  officer  in  India, 
well  known  to  my  informant,  having  chanced  to  ram- 
ble into  a  jungle,  suddenly  encountered  a  royal  tiger. 
The  rencontre  appeared  equally  unexpected  on  both 
sides,  and  both  parties  made  a  lead  halt,  earnestly 
gazing  on  each  other.  The  gentleman  had  no  fire 
arms,  and  was  aware  that  a  sword  would  be  no  effect- 
ive defence  in  a  struggle  for  life  with  such  an  antago- 


THE    BENGAL    LION. 


nist!  But  he  had  heard  that  even  the  Bengal  tiger 
might  be  sometimes  checked  by  looking  him  firmly  in 
the  face.  He  did  so  :  in  a  few  minutes,  the  tiger, 
which  appeared  prepared  to  make  his  final  spring,  grew 
disturbed — slunk  aside — and  attempted  to  creep  round 
upon  him  behind.  The  officer  turned  constantly  upon  the 
tiger,  which  still  continued  to  shrink  from  his  glance  ; 
but  darting  into  the  thicket,  and  again  issuing  forth 
at  a  different  quarter,  it  persevered  for  above  half  an 
hour  in  this  attempt  to  catch  him  by  surprise ;  till  at 
last  it  fairly  yielded  the  contest,  and  left  the  gentle- 
man to  pursue  his  pleasure  walk.  The  direction  he 
now  took,  as  may  be  easily  believed,  was  straight  to 
the  tents,  at  double  quick  time." 

It  will  now  be  proper  to  give  some  description  of  the 
two  species  of  Lions,  the  Asiatic  and  the  African. 


THE    BENGAL    LION. 

THE  uniformity  of  his  colour  is  one  characteristic 
which  distinguishes  the  Lion  from  his  congeners  of  the 
feline  race.  Except  in  his  young  state,  when  there  is 
an  appearance  of  stripes,  he  is  of  a  pale  tawny  above, 
which  becomes  somewhat  lighter  beneath.  A  second 
mark  is,  the  long  and  flowing  mane  of  the  full  grown 
male,  which,  commencing  nearly  at  the  root  of  his 
nose,  extends  backwards  over  his  shoulders,  and  grace- 
fully undulates  on  each  side  of  his  face  and  neck.  A 
third  is,  a  long  and  blackish  tuft  of  hairs  which  termi- 
nates his  tail.  In  size,  the  Asiatic  Lion  rarely  equals 
the  Southern  African.  He  is  of  a  more  uniform  and 
pale  yellow,  and  has  a  peculiar  appendage  in  the  long 
hairs  which  begin  beneath  the  neck,  and  occupy  the 
whole  of  the  middle  line  of  the  body  below. 

The  animal  described  above  is  called  "the  Old  Lion." 
This  denomination,  however,  is  given  only  to  distin- 
guish him  from  the  Cape  Lion,  which  has  been  for  a 
shorter  period  in  the  Tower.  George  was  his  original 
name. 

George  and  his  female  companion  were  taken  in 
Bengal,  in  1823,  by  General  Watson.  The  general 
while  out  one  morning  on  horseback,  with  a  double 
barreled  rifle,  was  suddenly  surprised  by  a  large  male 
Lion,  which  bounded  out  upon  him  from  a  thick  Jung'? 


34  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

He  fired,  and  it  fell  dead  almost  close  to  his  feet.  A 
female  then  darted  out  upon  him.  He  wounded  her, 
and  she  fled  into  the  thicket.  Suspecting  that  her  den 
was  close  at  hand,  he  followed,  soon  tracked  her  to  it, 
and  completed  her  destruction.  "In  the  den  were 
found  a  beautiful  pair  of  cubs,  male  and  female,  sup- 
posed to  be  then  not  more  than  three  days  old.  These 
the  general  brought  away  with  him,  and  succeeded,  by 
the  assistance  of  a  goat,  who  was  prevailed  upon  to  act 
in  the  capacity  of  foster-mother  to  the  royal  pair,  in 
rearing  them  until  they  attained  sufficient  age  and 
strength  to  enable  them  to  bear  the  voyage  to  England. 
On  their  arrival  in  this  country,  in  September,  1823, 
he  presented  them  to  his  majesty,  who  commanded 
them  to  be  placed  in  the  tower.  The  male  of  this  pair 
is  the  subject  of  the  present,  the  female  that  of  the  suc- 
ceeding article." 

George  is  fed  once  in  twenty-four  hours;  and  his 
meal  is  generally  eight  pounds  of  beef,  exclusive  of 
bone.  This  he  seizes  greedily,  tears  instantly  to  pieces 
with  his  claws,  and  ravenously  devours;  unlike  Lions 
in  a  state  of  nature,  who,  after  having  slain  their  vic- 
tim, are  said  to  pause  over  it  for  a  considerable  time 
before  they  satisfy  their  appetite. 

The  Lioness  has  no  mane,  is  of  smaller  size  than 
the  Lion,  more  slenderly  and  delicately  made  and  more 
graceful  and  agile  in  her  movements.  The  head  of  the 
Lion  is  almost  uniformly  elevated ;  that  of  the  Lioness 
is  almost  uniformly  carriedon  a  level  with  the  line  of 
her  back,  which  gives  her  a  sullen  and  downcast  look. 

For  a  considerable  time  after  her  arrival  in  England, 
the  Lioness,  as  well  as  the  Lion,  was  exceedingly  tame 
and  docile,  and  was  often  allowed  to  roam  at  large 
about  the  open  yard.  They  were  both,  however,  at 
length  put  under  more  restraint,  in  the  fear  that  they 
might  eventually  do  mischief.  But  even  long  after 
this,  "her  disposition  was  far  from  exciting  any  parti- 
cular fear  in  the  minds  of  her  keepers.  As  an  instance 
of  this,  we  may  mention  that  when,  on  one  occasion 
about  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  she  had  been  suffered 
through  inadvertence  to  leave  her  den,  and  when  she 
was  by  no  means  in  good  temper,  George  Willoughby, 
the  under  keeper,  had  the  boldness,  alone,  and  armed 
only  with  a  broom,  to  venture  upon  the  task  of  driving 


TIJE  CAPK   I.ION.  35 

her  back  into  her  place  of  confinement,  which  he  finally 
accomplished,  not  however,  without  strong  symptoms 
of  resistance  on  her  part,  as  she  actually  made  three 
springs  upon  him,  all  of  which  he  was  fortunate  enough 
to  avoid." 

Since,  however,  she  gave  birth  to  her  Cubs,  her  tem- 
per is  totally  changed.  She  is  violent  beyond  mea- 
sure, suspects  every  one  who  approaches  her  den  of  an 
intention  to  rob  her  of  her  cherished  offspring,  and,  as 
Mr.  Bennett  eloquently  expresses  it,  "  exhibits  the 
truly  beautiful  but  appalling  picture  of  maternal  ten- 
derness combined  with  savage  ferocity,  each  in  their 
utmost  intensity  of  force  and  colouring." 

The  Cubs,  of  which  there  are  three,  two  male  and 
one  female,  were  whelped  on  the  20th  of  October,  1827, 
the  day  of  the  battle  of  Navarino.  They  are  the  finest 
that  were  ever  brea  in  England,  and,  at  present,  are  in 
the  best  condition.  They  have  all  the  playfulness  of 
kittens,  and  their  dam  is  unremittingly  assiduous  in 
licking  their  fur  and  keeping  them  in  a  state  of  clean- 
liness. 


THE  CAPE  LION. 

OF  the  Cape  Lion,  there  are  two  varieties,  which, 
from  the  tint  of  tl  eir  coats,  and  particularly  of  their 
manes,  are  designa\ed  by  the  settlers  as  the  Pale  and 
the  Black  Lion.  The  latter  of  these  is  the  larger  and 
more  ferocious  of  the  two,  and  occasionally  is  found  of 
the  enormous  length  of  eight  feet  from  the  tip  of  the 
nose  to  the  origin  of  the  tail.  The  tail  is  usually  about 
half  the  length  of  the  body.  The  pale  variety  is  the 
more  common.  In  the  Tower  there  are  specimens  of 
both  species. 

The  colonists  at  the  Cape  bear  the  Lion  a  deadly 
hatred  for  the  mischief  which  he  does  to  them,  parti- 
cularly in  the  destruction  of  their  horses,  for  the  flesh 
of  which  he  seems  to  have  an  especial  liking.  Being 
excellent  marksmen,  they  will  almost  attack  him  sin- 
gly ;  but  the  more  common  mode  of  attacking  him  is 
by  hunting  parties. 

The  hunting  of  an  African  Lion  is  described  with 
infinite  spirit  by  Mr.  Pringle,  who  was  a  settler  on  the 
eastern  frontief  of  the  Cape  Colony-  ?'  One  night  (sayi 


30  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

he)  a  Lion,  that  had  previously  purloined  a  few  sheej, 
out  of  my  kraal,  came  down  and  killed  my  riding  horse 
about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  door  of  my  cabin. 
Knowing  that  the  Lion,  when  he  does  not  carry  off  his 
prey,  usually  conceals  himself  in  the  vicinity»  and  is 
very  apt  to  be  dangerous  by  prowling  about  the  place 
in  search  of  more  game,  I  resolved  to  have  him  de- 
stroyed or  dislodged  without  delay.  I  therefore  sent  a 
messenger  round  the  location,  to  invite  all  who  were 
willing  to  assist  in  the  enterprise,  to  repair  to  the  place 
of  rendezvous  as  speedily  as  possible.  In  an  hour  every 
man  of  the  party  (with  the  exception  of  two  pluckless 
fellows  who  were  kept  at  home  by  the  women)  appear- 
ed ready  mounted  and  armed.  We  were  also  rein- 
forced by  about  a  dozen  of  the  '  Bastuard'  or  Mulatto 
Hottentots,  who  resided  at  that  time  upon  our  territory 
as  tenants  or  herdsmen, — an  active  and  enterprising, 
though  rather  an  unsteady,  race  of  men.  Our  friends 
the  Tarkaboors,  many  of  whom  are  excellent  Lion 
hunters,  were  all  too  far  distant  to  assist  us,  our  near- 
est neighbours  residing  at  least  twenty  miles  from  the 
location.  We  were,  therefore,  on  account  of  our  own 
inexperience,  obliged  to  make  our  Hottentots  the  lead- 
ers of  the  chase. 

"  The  first  point  was  to  track  the  Lion  to  his  covert. 
This  was  effected  by  a  few  of  the  ]  lottentots  on  foot. 
Commencing  from  the  spot  where  the  horse  was  killed, 
they  followed  the  spoor*  through  grass,  gravel,  and 
brushwood,  with  astonishing  ease  and  dexterity,  where 
an  inexperienced  eye  could  discern  neither  footprint 
nor  mark  of  any  kind, — until  at  length  we  fairly  track- 
ed him  into  a  large  bosch,  or  straggling  thicket  of  brush- 
wood and  evergreens,  about  a  mile  distant. 

"  The  next  object  was  to  drive  him  out  of  this  re- 
treat, in  order  to  attack  him  in  close  phalanx,  and  with 
more  safety  and  effect.  The  approved  mode  in  such 
cases  is  to  torment  him  with  dogs  till  he  abandons  his 
covert,  and  stands  at  bay  in  the  open  plain.  The  whole 
band  of  hunters  then  march  forward  together,  and  fire 
deliberately  one  by  one.  If  he  does  not  speedily  fall, 
but  grows  angry  and  turns  upon  his  enemies,  they  must 
then  stand  close  in  a  circle,  and  turn  their  horses  rear 
outward  ;  some  holding  them  fast  by  the  bridles,  while 

*  The  Hottentot  name  for  a  footmnrk. 


T.HE   LION.  37 

the  others  kneel  to  take  a  steady  aim  at  the  Lion  as  he 
approaches,  sometimes  up  to  the  very  horses'  heels, 
couching  every  now  and  then  as  if  to  measure  the  dis- 
tance and  strength  of  his  enemies.  This  is  the  moment 
to  shoot  him  fairly  in  the  forehead,  or  some  other  mor- 
tal part.  If  they  continue  to  wound  him  ineffectually 
till  he  waxes  furious  and  desperate,  or  if  the  horses, 
startled  by  his  terrific  roar,  grow  frantic  with  terror,  and 
burst  loose,  the  business  becomes  rather  serious,  and 
may  end  in  mischief;  especially  if  all  the  party  are  not 
men  of  courage,  coolness,  and  experience.  The  frontier 
Boors  are,  however,  generally  such  excellent  marks- 
men, and  withal  so  cool  and  deliberate,  that  they  sel- 
dom fail  to  shoot  him  dead  as  soon  as  they  get  within 
a  fair  distance. 

"  In  the  present  instance,  we  did  not  manage  matters 
quite  so  scientifically.  The  Bastuards,  after  recounting 
.to  us  all  these  and  other  sage  laws  of  Lion  hunting, 
were  themselves  the  first  to  depart  from  them.  Find- 
ing that  the  few  indifferent  hounds  which  we  had  made 
little  impression  on  the  enemy,  they  divided  themselves 
into  two  or  three  parties,  and  rode  round  the  jungle, 
firing  into  the  spot  where  the  dogs  were  barking  round 
him,  but  without  effect.  At  length,  after  some  hours 
spent  in  thus  beating  about  the  bush,  the  Scottish  blood 
of  some  of  my  countrymen  began  to  get  impatient ;  and 
three  of  them  announced  their  determination  to  march 
in  and  beard  the  Lion  in  his  den,  provided  three  of  the 
Bastuards  (who  were  superior  marksmen)  would  sup- 
port them,  and  follow  up  their  fire,  should  the  enemy 
venture  to  give  battle.  Accordingly,  in  they  went  (in 
spite  of  the  warnings  of  some  more  prudent  men  among 
us,)  to  within  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  of  the  spot  where 
the  animal  lay  concealed.  He  was  couched  among  the 
roots  of  a  large  evergreen  bush,  with  a  small  space  of 
open  ground  on  one  side  of  it ;  and  they  fancied,  on  ap- 
proaching, that  they  saw  him  distinctly  lying  glaring  at 
them  from  beneath  the  foliage.  Charging  theBastuarda 
to  stand  firm  and  level  fair  should  they  miss,  the  Scot- 
tish champions  let  fly  together,  and  struck,  not  the  Lion, 
as  it  afterwards  proved,  but  a  great  block  of  red  stone, 
beyond  which  he  was  actually  lying.  Whether  any  of 
the  shot  grazed  him  is  uncertain,  but,  with  no  other 
warning  than  a  f1  rious  growl,  forth  he  boh«d  from  th« 
VOL.  II  —1 


38  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

I 

bush  Tho  pusillanimous  Bastuards,  in  place  of  now 
pouring  in  their  volley  upon  him,  instantly  turned  and 
fled  helter-skelter,  leaving  him  to  do  his  pleasure  upon 
the  defenceless  Scots ;  who,  with  empty  guns,  were 
tumbling  over  each  other,  in  their  hurry  to  escape  11,^ 
clutch  of  the  rampant  savage.  In  a  twinkling  he  was 
upon  them,  and  with  one  stroke  of  his  paw  dashed  the 
nearest  to  the  ground.  The  scene  was  terrific  !  There 
stood  the  Lion  with  his  paw  upon  his  prostrate  foe, 
looking  round  in  conscious  power  and  pride  upon  the 
bands  of  his  assailants,  and  with  a  port  the  most  noble 
and  imposing  that  can  be  conceived.  It  was  the  most 
magnificent  thing  I  ever  witnessed.  The  danger  of 
our  friends,  however,  rendered  it  at  the  moment  too 
terrible  to  enjoy  either  the  grand  or  the  ludicrous  part 
of  the  picture.  We  expected  every  instant  to  see  one 
or  more  of  them  torn  in  pieces  ;  nor,  though  the  rest 
of  the  party  were  standing  within  fifty  paces  with  their 
guns  cocked  and  levelled,  durst  we  fire  for  their  assist- 
ance. One  was  lying  under  the  Lion's  paw,  and  the 
others  scrambling  towards  us  in  such  a  way  as  to  inter- 
cept our  aim  at  him.  All  this  passed  far  more  rapidly 
than  I  have  described  it.  But  luckily  the  Lion,  after 
steadily  surveying  us  for  a  few  seconds,  seemed  willing 
to  be  quits  with  us  on  fair  terms  ;  and  with  a  fortunate 
forbearance  (for  which  he  met  but  an  ungrateful  recom- 
pense,) turned  calmly  away,  and  driving  the  snarling 
dogs  like  rats  from  among  his  heels,  bounded  over  the 
adjoining  thicket  like  a  cat  over  a  footstool,  clearing 
brakes  and  bushes  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  high,  as  rea- 
dily as  if  they  had  been  tufts  of  grass,  and,  abandoning 
the  jungle,  retreated  towards  the  mountains. 

"  After  ascertaining  the  state  of  our  rescued  comrade 
(who  fortunately  had  sustained  no  other  injury  than  a 
slight  scratch  en  the  back,  and  a  severe  bruise  in  the 
ribs,  from  the  force  with  which  the  animal  had  dashed 
him  to  the  ground,)  we  renewed  the  chase  with  Hot- 
tentots and  hounds  in  full  cry.  In  a  short  time  we 
again  came  up  with  the  enemy,  and  found  him  standing 
at  bay  under  an  old  mimosa  tree,  by  the  side  of  a 
mountain  stream  which  we  had  distinguished  by  the 
name  of  Douglas  Water.  The  dogs  were  barking 
round,  but  afraid  to  approach  him,  for  he  was  now 
beginning  to  growl  fiercely,  and  to  brandiah  his  tail  iH 


THE    LION.  2i> 

a  manner  that  showed  he  was  meditating  mischvef.  The 
Hottentots,  by  taking  a  circuit  between  him  and  the 
mountain,  crossed  the  stream,  and  took  a  position  on 
the  top  of  a  precipice  overlooking  the  spot  where  he 
stood.  Another  party  of  us  occupied  a  position  on  the 
other  side  of  the  glen ;  and  placing  the  poor  fellow 
thus  between  two  fires,  which  confused  his  attention 
and  prevented  his  retreat,  we  kept  battering  away  at 
him  till  he  fell,  unable  again  to  grapple  with  us  pierced 
with  many  wounds. 

"  He  proved  to  be  a  full  grown  Lion  of  the  yellow 
variety,  about  five  or  six  years  of  age.  He  measurei 
nearly  twelve  feet  from  the  nose  to  the^ip  of  the  tail. 
His  fore-leg  below  the  knee  was  so  thick  that  I  could 
not  span  it  with  both  hands  ;  and  his  neck,  breast,  and 
limbs  appeared,  when  the  skin  was  taken  off,  a  complete 
congeries  of  sinews." 

The  African  Lion,  however,  is  often  doomed  to  a 
more  ignoble  death.  He  is  dull  of  hearing,  diflicult 
to  be  awaked,  and  when  suddenly  awaked,  has  no  pre- 
sence of  mind.  Of  these  circumstances  the  Bushmen 
of  Africa  avail  themselves  to  accomplish  his  destruc- 
tion. "  The  wolf  and  the  tiger  (says  Dr.  Philip)  gene- 
rally retire  to  the  caverns  and  the  ravines  of  the  moun- 
tains, but  the  Lion  is  most  usually  found  in  the  open 
plain,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  flocks  of  Ante- 
lopes, which  invariably  geek  the  open  country,  and 
which  manifest  a  kind  of  instinctive  aversion  to  places 
in  which  their  powerful  adversary  may  spring  upon 
them  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  It  has  been  remark- 
ed of  the  Lion,  by  the  Bushmen,  that  he  generally  kills 
and  devours  his  prey  in  the  morning  at  sunrise,  or  sun- 
set. On  this  account,  when  they  intend  to  kill  Lions, 
they  generally  notice  where  the  spring-bucks  are  graz- 
ing at  the  rising  of  the  sun ;  and  by  observing,  at  the 
same  time,  if  they  appear  frightened  and  run  off,  they 
conclude  that  they  have  been  attacked  by  the  Lion. 
Marking  accurately  the  spot  where  the  alarm  took 
place,  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  day,  when  the  sun  is 
powerful,  and  the  enemy  they  seek  is  supposed  to  be 
fast  asleep,  they  carefully  examine  the  ground,  and 
finding  him  in  a  state  of  unguarded  security,  they  lodge 
a  poisoned  arrow  in  his  breast.  The  moment  the  Lion 
»H  thus  struck,  he  springs  from  his  lair,  and  bounds  off 


40  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

as  helpless  as  the  stricken  deer.  The  work  is  done  ; 
the  arrow  of  death  has  pierced  his  heart,  without  even 
breaking  the  slumbers  of  the  Lioness  which  may  have 
been  lying  beside  him;  and  the  Bushman  knows  where, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  or  even  in  less  time,  be 
will  find  him  dead,  or  in  the  agonies  of  death." 

THE    PUMA. 

THE  Puma,  Couguar,  or  American  Lion,  is  from  four 
to  five  feet  long,  but  more  commonly  of  the  former 
size,  and  has  a  tail  of  half  that  length,  which  has  not, 
like  that  of  ike  Lion,  a  terminating  brush  of  hair ; 
neither  has  the  Puma  a  mane.  Indeed,  his  name  of 
Lion  could  only  have  been  given  to  him  by  careless  or 
unscientific  observers,  as  his  uniform  sameness  of 
colour  is  the  sole  point  of  resemblance  which  he  has 
to  the  king  of  beasts.  He  has  a  small  rounded  head, 
a  broad  and  rather  obtuse  muzzle,  and  a  body  which, 
in  proportion,  is  slenderer  and  less  elevated  than  that 
of  his  more  dignified  namesake.  "  The  upper  parts  of 
his  body,"  says  Mr.  Bennett,  "are  of  a  bright  silvery 
fawn,  the  tawny  hairs  being  terminated  by  whitish  tips: 
beneath  and  on  the  inside  of  the  limbs  he  is  nearly 
white,  and  more  completely  so  on  the  throat,  chin,  and 
upper  lip.  The  head  has  an  irregular  mixture  of  black 
and  gray ;  the  outside  of  the  ears,  especially  at  the 
base,  the  sides  of  the  muzzle  from  which  the  whiskers 
take  their  origin,  and  the  extremity  of  the  tail,  are 
black."  The  fur  of  the  Cubs  has  spots  of  a  darker 
hue,  which  are  visible  only  in  certain  lights,  and  dis- 
appear when  the  animal  is  full  grown.  Both  the  sexes 
are  of  the  same  colour. 

The  Puma  was  once  spread  over  the  whole  wide 
extent  of  the  new  world,  from  Canada  to  Patagonia. 
The  progress  of  civilization  has,  however,  circum- 
scribed his  range,  and  has  rooted  him  out  in  many 
places.  Notwithstanding  his  size  and  strength,  he  is 
cowardly ;  and,  like  almost  all  cowards,  he  is  sanguin- 
ary. If  he  find  a  flock  of  sheep  unprotected,  he  will 
destroy  the  whole,  merely  that  he  may  enjoy  the  luxury 
of  sucking  their  blood.  As  he  possesses  much  timidity 
and  little  swiftness,  and  freouents  the  open  plains,  he 


THE  TIGER.  41 

generally  falls  a  victim  when  the  hunter  pursues  him 
with  the  unerring  lasso. 

In  seizing  its  prey,  the  Puma  crawls  softly  on  his 
belly  through  the  shrubs  and  bushes,  conceals  itself  in 
ditches,  or  assumes  a  fawning  appearance.  As  soon, 
however,  as  it  can  reach  its  victim,  it  leaps  on  its  back 
by  one  bound,  and  soon  rends  it  to  pieces.  Molina 
tells  us  that,  in  Chili,  where  the  husbandmen  tether 
their  horses  in  the  fields  by  pairs,  the  Puma  kills  and 
drags  one  away,  and  compels  the  other  to  follow  by 
occasionally  striking  it  with  his  paw.  All  animals  are 
not  thus  easily  vanquished.  Asses  defend  themselves 
with  their  heels,  and  are  'often  victorious ;  and  cows 
form  themselves  into  a  circle  round  their  calves,  turn 
their  horns  towards  the  assailant,  and  not  unfrequently 
destroy  him.  Even  a  woman  or  a  child  can  put  him 
to  flight.  When  hunted  with  dogs,  however,  and  cut 
off  from  his  retreat  to  a  rock  or  a  tree,  he  places  him- 
self under  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree,  and  fights 
furiously. 

The  Puma  is  easily  tamed,  and  in  captivity  becomes 
tractable,  and  even  attached.  It  loves  to  be  noticed 
and  caressed,  expresses  its  pleasure  by  purring,  will 
follow  its  owner  about  like  a  dog,  and  has  been  known 
to  suffer  children  to  ride  upon  its  back. 


THE  TIGER. 

IN  the  class  of  carnivorous  animals  the  lion  is  the 
foremost.  Immediately  after  him  follows  the  Tiger  ; 
which,  while  he  possesses  all  the  bad  qualities  of  the 
former,  seems  to  be  a  stranger  to  his  good  ones.  To 
pride,  to  courage,  to  strength,  the  Lion  adds  greatness, 
and  sometimes,  perhaps,  clemency;  while  the  Tiger, 
without  provocation,  is  fierce ;  without  necessity,  is 
cruel.  Thus  it  is  throughout  all  the  classes  of  Nature, 
in  which  the  superiority  of  rank  proceeds  from  the 
superiority  of  strength.  The  first  class,  sole  masters 
of  all,  are  less  tyrannical  than  the  inferior  classes, 
which,  denied  so  full  an  exertion  of  authority,  abuse 
the  powers  intrusted  to  them. 

More,  therefore  than  even  the  lion,  the  Tiger  is  an 
object  of  terror.  He  is  the  scourge  ofxevery  country 
which  he  inhabits  Of  the  appearance  of  man,  and  o'f 
4* 


4fc  NA1URAL   HISTORY. 

&11  his  hostile  weapons,  he  is  fearless ;  wild  animals  as 
well  as  tame  ones  fall  sacrifices  before  him;  the  younc 
elephant  and  rhinoceros  he  sometimes  attacks ;  and 
sometimes,  with  an  increased  audacity,  he  braves  the 
lion  himself. 

The  form  of  the  body  usually  corresponds  with  the 
nature,  the  disposition  of  the  animal.  The  Tiger,  with 
a  body  too  long,  with  limbs  too  short,  with  a  head  un- 
covered, and  with  eyes  ghastly  and  haggard,  has  no 
characteristics  but  those  of  the  basest  and  most  insa- 
tiable cruelty.  For  instinct  he  has  nothing  but  a  uni- 
form rage,  a  blind  fury ;  s-o  blind  indeed,  so  undistin- 
guished, that  he  frequently  devours  his  own  progeny, 
and,  if  she  offers  to  defend  them,  tears  in  pieces  the 
dam  herself. 

Happy  is  it  for  the  rest  of  nature  that  this  animal  ia 
not  common,  and  that  the  species  is  chiefly  confined  to 
the  warmest  provinces  of  the  East.  The  Tiger  is 
found  in  Malabar,  in  Siam,  in  Bengal,  and  in  all  the 
countries  which  are  inhabited  by  the  elephant  and  the 
rhinoceros. 

When  he  has  killed  a  large  animal,  such  as  a  horse 
or  a  buffalo,  he  does  not  choose  to  devour  it  on  the 
spot,  fearing  to  be  disturbed  ;  and  in  order  to  feast  at 
his  ease,  he  carries  off  his  prey  to  the  forest,  dragging 
it  along  with  such  ease  that  the  swiftness  of  his  motion 
seems  scarcely  retarded  by  the  enormous  load  he 
sustains. 

To  give  a  still  more  complete  idea  of  the  strength 
of  this  terrible  creature,  we  shall  quote  a  passage  from 
Father  Tachard,  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  a  combat 
of  one  Tiger  against  two,  and  even  three,  elephants  at 
Siam.  For  this  purpose,  the  king  ordered  a  lofty  pali- 
sade to  be  built  of  bamboo  cane,  about  a  hundred  feet 
square  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  this  were  three  elephants 
appointed  for  combating  the  Tiger.  Their  heads  and 
part  of  their  trunks  were  covered  with  a  kind  of  armour 
like  a  mask,  which  defended  that  part  from  the  assaults 
of  the  fierce  animal  with  which  they  were  to  engage. 
As  soon,  says  this  author,  as  we  were  arrived  at  the 
place,  a  Tiger  was  brought  forth  from  his  den,  of  a 
size  much  larger  than  we  had  ever  seen  before.  He 
was  not  at  first  let  loose,  but  held  with  cords,  so  that 
one  of  the  eleohants  approaching  gave  him  three  01 


THK   TJGKR.  43 

four  blowd  with  his  trunk  on  the  back,  with  such  force 
that  the  Tiger  was  for  some  time  stunned,  and  lay  with 
out  motion,  as  if  he  had  been  dead.  As  soon,  however, 
as  he  was  let  loose,  and  at  full  liberty,  although  the 
first  blows  had  greatly  abated  his  fury,  he  made  at  the 
elephant  with  a  loud  shriek,  and  aimed  at  seizing  his 
trunk.  But  the  elephant,  wrinkling  it  up  with  great 
dexterity,  received  the  Tiger  on  his  great  teeth,  and 
tossed  him  up  into  the  air.  This  so  discouraged  the 
furious  animal,  that  he  no  more  ventured  to  approach 
the  elephant,  but  made  several  circuits  round  the  pali- 
sade, often  attempting  to  fly  at  the  spectators.  Shortly 
after,  a  second,  and  then  a  third  elephant  were  sent 
against  him,  and  they  continued  to  strike  him  so  terri- 
bly with  their  trunks,  that  he  once  more  lay  for  dead  ; 
and  they  would  certainly  have  killed  him,  had  not  a 
stop  been  put  to  the  combat. 

The  Tiger,  of  which  Father  Gouie  has  communicated 
to  the  Academy  of  Sciences  an  anatomical  descrip- 
tion, composed  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers  at  China,  seems 
to  belong  to  the  true  species,  as  does  also  that  which 
the  Portuguese  have  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
Royal  Tiger.  Dellon  expressly  says,  in  his  Travels, 
that  there  is  no  country  of  India  in  which  Tigers  so 
much  abound  as  Malabar;  that  there  the  species  are 
numerous,  but  that  the  largest  of  all  is  that  which  the 
Portuguese  call  the  Royal  Tiger,  which  is  very  rare, 
and  is  as  large  as  a  horse. 

The  species  of  the  Tiger  has  always  been  much 
rarer,  and  much  less  generally  diffused,  than  that  of  the 
lion.  Like  the  lioness,  nevertheless,  the  Tigress  pro- 
duces four  or  five  young  ones  at  a  birth.  From  her 
nature  she  is  fierce  at  all  times ;  but  when  surrounded 
with  her  infant  progeny,  and  in  the  smallest  danger  of 
losing  them,  her  rage,  her  fury,  becomes  extravagant. 
To  oppose  the  daring  invaders  of  her  den,  she  braves 
every  danger.  On  such  occasions,  she  pursues  the 
spoiler  with  an  enmity  the  most  inveterate ;  and  he, 
contented  to  lose  a  part  in  order  to  save  a  part,  is  fre- 
quentlv  obliged  to  drop  one  of  her  cubs.  With  this 
she  immediately  returns  to  her  den,  and  again  pursues 
him  :  he  then  drops  another  ;  and,  by  the  time  she  has 
returned  with  that,  he  generally  escapes  with  the 
remainder.  Should  her  young  be  torn  from  her 


44  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

entirely,  with  hideous  cries  she  expresses  her  agony, 
her  despair,  and  follows  the  captor  to  the  very  town, 
or  ship,  in  which  he  may  have  taken  refuge,  and  dares 
him,  as  it  were,  to  come  forth. 

The  skins  of  these  animals  are  much  esteemed  all 
over  the  East,  particularly  in  China  ;  the  Mandarines 
cover  their  seats  of  justice  in  the  public  places  with 
them,  and  convert  them  into  coverings  for  cushions  in 
winter.  The  Indians  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Tiger,  and 
find  it  neither  disagreeable  nor  unwholesome. 

Such  is  the  character  which  Buffon  and  many  other 
naturalists  have  given  to  the  Tiger,  and  it  certainly  is 
not  calculated  to  prejudice  us  in  his  favour.  More 
recent  writers  have,  however,  and  apparently  with  jus- 
tice, endeavoured  to  remove  a  part  of  the  odium  which 
has  been  thrown  upon  him.  Mr.  Bennett,  the  scientific 
and  acute  author  of  the  description  of  the  animals  in 
the  Tower  Menagerie  and  the  Zoological  Gardens,  has 
laboured  with  much  eloquence  to  raise  the  Tiger  in  the 
scale  of  estimation.  "  Closely  allied  to  the  lion  (says 
he,)  whom  he  resembles  in  power,  in  external  form,  in 
internal  structure,  in  zoological  character,  in  his  prowl- 
ing habits,  and  in  his  sanguinary  propensities,  the  Tiger 
is  at  once  distinguished  from  that  king  of  beasts,  and 
from  every  other  of  their  common  genus,  by  the  pecu- 
liar marking  of  his  coat.  On  a  ground  which  exhibits 
in  different  individuals  various  shades  of  yellow,  he  is 
elegantly  striped  by  a  series  of  transverse  black  bands 
or  bars,  which  occupy  the  sides  of  his  head,  neck,  and 
body,  and  are  continued  upon  his  tail  in  the  form  of 
rings,  the  last  of  the  series  uniformly  occupying  the 
extremity  of  that  organ,  and  giving  to  it  a  black  tip  of 
greater  or  less  extent.  The  under  parts  of  his  body 
and  the  inner  sides  of  his  legs  are  almost  entirely 
white  ;  he  has  no  mane,  and  his  whole  frame,  though 
less  elevated  than  that  of  the  lion,  is  of  a  slenderer  and 
more  graceful  make.  His  head  is  also  shorter,  and 
more  rounded. 

"  Almost  in  the  same  degree  that  the  lion  has  been 
exaUed  and  magnified,  at  the  expense  of  his  fellow 
brutes,  has  the  Tiger  been  degraded  and  depressed 
below  his  natural  level.  While  the  one  has  been  held 
up  to  admiration,  as  the  type  and  standard  of  heroic 
perfection,  the  otssr  has,  with  equal  capriciousnesa 


THB   TIGER.  45 

and  disregard  of  the  close  and  intimate  relationship  sub« 
sisting  between  them,  been  looked  upon  by  mankind  in 
general  with  those  feelings  of  unmingled  horror  and 
detestation  which  his  character  for  untameable  ferocity 
and  insatiable  thirst  of  blood  was  so  well  calculated  to 
inspire.  It  requires,  howevei,  but  little  consideration 
to  te?ach  us  that  the  broad  distinction,  which  has  been 
drawn,  cannot  by  possibility  exist ;  and  the  recorded 
observations  of  naturalists  ami  travellers,  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  will  be  'found  amply  sufficient  to  prove 
that  the  difference  in  their  characters  and  habits,  on 
which  so  much  stress  has  been  laid,  is  in  reality  as 
slight  and  unessential  as  that  which  exists  in  their  cor- 
poreal structure. 

"  Unquestionably  the  Tiger  has  not  the  majesty  of 
the  lion  ;  for  he  is  destitute  of  the  mane,  in  which  that 
majesty  chiefly  resides.  Neither  has  he  the  same  calm 
and  dignified  air  of  imperturbable  gravity,  which  is  at 
once  so  striking  and  so  prepossessing  in  the  aspect  of 
the  lion.  Rut,  on  the  other  hand,  it  will  readily  be 
granted,  that  in  the  superior  lightness  of  his  frame, 
which  allows  his  natural  agility  its  free  ancjl  unrestricted 
scope,  and  in  the  graceful  ease  and  spirited  activity  of 
his  motions,  to  say  nothing  of  the  beauty,  the  regu- 
larity, and  the  vividness  of  his  colouring,  he  far  excels 
his  competitor,  whose  giant  bulk  and  comparative  hea- 
viness of  person,  added  to  the  dull  uniformity  of  his 
colour,  detract  in  no  small  degree  from  the  impression 
produced  by  his  noble  and  majestic  bearing. 

"  In  comparing  the  moral  qualities  of  these  two  for- 
midable animals,  we  shall  also  find  that  the  shades  of 
difference,  for  at  most  they  are  but  shades,  which  dis- 
tinguish them,  are,  like  their  external  characteristics, 
pretty  equally  balanced  in  favour  of  each.  In  all  the 
leading  features  of  their  character,  the  habits  of  both 
are  essentially  the  same.  The  Tiger,  equally  with  the 
lion,  and  in  common  indeed  with  the  whole  of  the  group 
to  which  he  belongs,  reposes  indolently  in  the  security 
of  his  den,  until  fhe  calls  ol  appetite  stimulate  him  to 
look  abroad  for  food.  He  then  chooses  a  convenient 
ambush,  in  which  to  lie  concealed  from  observation, 
generally  amid  the  underwood  of  the  forest,  but  some- 
times even  on  the  branches  of  a  tree,  which  he  climbs 
with  all  the  agility  of  a  cat.  In  this  secret  covert  he 


46  NATURAL    HISTORY 

awaits  with  patient  watchfulness  the  approach  of  his 
prey,  upon  which  he  darts  forth  with  an  irresistible 
bound,  and  bears  it  off  in  triumph  to  his  den.  Unlike 
the  lion,  however,  if  his  first  attack  proves  unsuccess- 
ful, and  he  misses  his  aim,  he  does  not  usually  slink 
sullenly  back  into  his  retreat,  but  pursues  his  victim 
with  a  speed  and  activity  which  is  seldom  baffled  even 
by  the  fleetest  animals. 

"  It  is  only  when  this  close  and  covert  mode  of  attack 
has  failed  of  procuring  him  the  necessary  supply,  that, 
urged  by  those  inward  cravings,  which  are  the  ruling 
impulse  of  all  his  actions,  he  prowls  abroad  under  the 
veil  of  night,  and  ventures  to  approach  the  dwellings 
of  man,  of  whom  he  does  not  appear  to  feel  that 
instinctive  awe  which  the  lion  has  been  known  so  fre- 
quently to  evince.  But  even  on  such  occasions,  and 
although  impelled  by  the  strong  stimulus  of  famine,  he 
is  in  general  far  from  unmindful  of  his  own  security  ; 
but  creeps  slowly  along  his  silent  path  with  all  the 
stealthy  caution  so  characteristic  of  the  feline  tribe. 
Occasionally,  however,  when  the  pangs  of  hunger  have 
become  intolerable,  and  can  no  longer  be  controlled 
even  by  the  overpowering  sway  of  instinct,  he  will 
boldly  advance  upon  man  himself  in  the  open  face  of 
day,  and  brave  every  danger  in  the  pursuit  of  that 
object  which,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  ether  senti- 
ment, appears  under  such  circumstances  wholly  to 
engross  his  faculties. 

"  It  is  evident  then  that  in  the  general  outline  of  his 
habits,  and  even  in  most  of  the  separate  traits  by  which 
his  character  is  marked,  he  differs  but  little  from  the 
lion.  His  courage,  if  brute  force  stimulated  by  sensual 
appetite  can  deserve  that  honourable  name,  is  at  least 
equal ;  and  as  for  magnanimity  and  generosity,  the  idea 
of  attributing  such  noble  qualities  to  either  is  in  itself 
BO  absurd,  and  is  so  fully  refuted  by  every  particular 
of  their  authentic  history,  that  it  would  be  perfectly 
ridiculous  to  attempt  a  comparison  where  no  materials 
for  comparison  exist." — "  Endowed  with  a  degree  of 
force,  which  the  lion  and  the  elephant  alone  can  equal, 
he  carries  off  a  buffalo  in  his  tremendous  jaws,  almost 
without  relaxing  from  his  usual  speed.  With  a  single 
stroke  of  his  claws  he  rips  open  the  body  of  the  largest 
animals  ;  and  is  said  to  suck  their  blood  with  insatia- 


THE   TIGER.  4? 

ble  avidity.  Of  the  correctness  of  the  latter  states  ent, 
at  least  in  its  full  extent,  there  is  however  strong  rea- 
son to  doubt.  The  Tiger  does  not,  according  to  the 
most  credible  accounts,  exhibit  this  propensity  to 
drinking  the  blood  of  his  victims  in  any  greater  degree 
than  the  rest  of  his  carnivorous  and  blood-thirsty 
companions.  In  this,  as  in  other  instances,  fear  ha's 
drawn  largely  on  credulity,  and  the  simple  and  suffi- 
ciently disgusting  fact  has  been  amplified  and  exagge- 
rated with  all  the  refinements  upon  horror  which  the 
terrified  imagination  could  suggest. 

"  In  making  these  observations  it  is  far  from  our 
intention  to  become  the  apologists  of  this  ferocious 
beast:  our  object  is  simply  to  place  him  in  the  rank 
which  he  deserves  to  hold,  on  a  level  with  those  ani- 
mals with  whom  Nature  has  decreed  that  he  should  be 
associated  no  less  in  character  than  in  form.  In  his 
wild  and.  unrestricted  state,  he  is  unquestionably  one 
of  the  most  terrible  of  the  living  scourges,  to  whose 
fatal  ravages  the  lower  animals,  and  even  man  himself, 
are  exposed.  But  in  captivity,  and  especially  if  domes- 
ticated while  young,  his  temper  is  equally  pliant,  his 
disposition  equally  docile,  and  his  manners  and  charac- 
ter equally  susceptible  of  amelioration,  with  those  of 
any  other  animal  of  his  class.  All  the  stories  that  have 
been  so  frequently  reiterated,  until  they  have  at  length 
passed  current  without  examination  as  accredited 
truths,  of  his  intractable  disposition  and  insensibility 
to  the  kind  treatment  of  his  keepers,  towards  whom  it 
is  alleged  that  he  never  exhibits  the  slightest  feelings 
of  gratitude,  have  been  proved  by  repeated  experience 
to  be  utterly  false  and  groundless.  He  is  tamed  with 
as  much  facility,  and  as  completely,  as  the  lion;  and 
soon  becomes  familiarized  with  those  who  feed  him. 
whom  he  learns  to  distinguish  Vom  others,  and  by 
whom  he  is  fond  of  being  noticed  and  caressed.  Like 
the  cat,  which  he  resembles  so  closely  in  all  his  actions, 
he  arches  his  broad  and  powerful  back  beneath  the 
hand  that  caresses  him  ;  he  licks  his  fur  and  smooths 
himself  with  his  paws  ;  and  purrs  in  the  same  mild  and 
expressive  manner  when  he  is  particularly  pleased. 
He  remains  perfectly  quiet  and  undisturbed,  unless 
when  hungry  or  irritated,  and  passes  the  greatest  part 
of  his  time  in  listless  repose.  His  roar  is  nearly  simi 


48  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Jar  to  that  of  the  lion,  and,  like  his,  is  by  no  means 
to  be  regarded  as  a  symptom  of  anger,  which  he 
announces  by  a  short  and  shrill  cry,  approaching  to  a 
scream." 

That  the  Tiger  is  not  irreclaimably  ferocious,  and 
that  he  is  capable  not  merely  of  a  capricious  and  tran- 
sient liking,  but  of  an  enduring  attachment,  the  follow- 
ing story  affords  an  extraordinary  and  convincing  proof. 
"  A  beautiful  young  Tiger,  brought  in  the  Pitt  East 
Indiaman  from  China,  in  the  year  1790,  was  so  far 
domesticated  as  to  admit  of  every  kind  of  familiarity 
from  the  people  on  board  the  ship.  It  seemed  to  be 
quite  harmless,  and  was  as  playful  as  a  kitten.  It  fre- 
quently slept  with  the  sailors  in  their  hammocks  ;  and 
would  suffer  two  or  three  of  them  to  repose  their  heads 
on  its  back  as  upon  a  pillow,  while  it  lay  stretched  out 
upon  the  deck.  In  return  for  this  indulgence,  it  would, 
however,  now  and  then  steal  their  meat.  Having  one 
day  stolen  a  piece  of  beef  from  the  carpenter,  he  fol- 
lowed the  animal,  took  the  meat  out  of  its  mouth,  and 
beat  it  severely  for  the  theft :  which  punishment  it  suf 
fered  with  all  the  patience  of  a  dog.  It  would  fre 
quently  run  out  on  the  bowsprit ;  climb  about  the  ship 
like  a  cat ;  and  perform  many  other  tricks,  with  an 
agility  that  was  truly  astonishing.  There  was  a  dog 
on  board,  with  which  it  would  frequently  play  in  the 
most  diverting  manner  imaginable.  This  animal  was 
taken  on  board  the  ship  when  it  was  only  a  month  or 
six  weeks  old,  and  arrived  in  England  before  it  had 
quite  completed  its  first  year.  On  its  arrival  it  was 
presented  to  the  king,  and  was  afterwards  deposited  in 
the  Tower  of  London.  It  even  there  continued  to  be 
perfectly  good  natured,  and  was  in  no  instance  known 
to  be  guilty  of  any  savage  or  mischievous  tricks. 

"  In  the  year  1801,  one  day  after  this  tiger  had  been 
fed,  his  keeper  put  into  the  den  to  him,  a  small,  rough 
black  terrier  puppy,  a  female.  The  beast  suffered  it 
to  remaiv  uninjured,  and  soon  afterwards  became  so 
much  attached  to  it,  as  to  be  restless  and  unhappy 
whenever  the  animal  was  taken  away  to  be  fed.  On  its 
return  the  Tiger  invariably  expressed  the  greatest  symp- 
toms of  delight,  always  welcoming  its  arrival  by  gentry 
licking  over  every  part  of  its  body.  In  one  or  two 
instances,  the  terrier  was  left  in  the  den,  by  mistake 


THE   TIGER.  49 

during  the  time  the  Tiger  had  his  food.  The  dog 
sometimes  ventured  to  eat  with  him,  but  the  Tiger 
generally  appeared  dissatisfied  with  this  liberty.  After 
a  residence  with  he  Tiger  of  several  months,  the  ter 
riev  was  removed  to  make  way  for  a  little  female  Dutch 
mastiff.  It  was,  however,  thought  advisable,  before 
the  terrier  was  taken  away,  to  shut  up  the  mastiff'  for 
three  or  four  days  among  the  straw  of  the  Tiger's  bed, 
to  take  off,  if  possible,  any  smell  that  might  be  offen- 
sive to  the  animal.  The  exchange  was  made  soon  after 
the  animals  had  been  fed ;  the  Tiger  seemed  perfectly 
satisfied  with  his  new  companion,  and  immediately 
began  to  lick  it,  as  he  had  before  done  the  terrier. 
The  dog  seemed  at  first  in  considerable  alarm  with  so 
formidable  an  inmate,  but  in  the  course  of  the  day  he 
became  perfectly  reconciled  to  his  situation.  This 
diminutive  creature  the  Tiger  would  suffer  to  play  with 
him,  with  the  greatest  good  nature.  I  have  myself, 
says  Mr.  Bingley,  seen  it  bark  at  him,  and  bite  him  by 
the  foot  and  mouth,  without  his  expressing  the  least 
displeasure.  When  the  dog  in  its  frolic,  seized  his 
foot,  he  merely  lifted  it  up  out  of  its  mouth,  and  seemed 
otherwise  heedless  of  its  attacks. 

"  Strange  dogs  were  several  times  put  into  the  Tiger's 
den  after  his  feeding,  and  he  in  no  instance  attempted 
to  injure  them.  Mr.  Cross,  the  present  keeper  of  Exe- 
ter 'Change,  and  who  formerly  had  the  care  of  the  ani- 
mals in  the  Tower,  informed  me  that  he  could  himself 
have  ventured  in  safety  into  the  den.  The  ship  car- 
penter, who  came  over  with  the  Tiger,  came  to  the 
Tower  to  see  him.  The  animal,  though  they  had  been 
separated  more  than  two  years,  instantly  recognised  a 
former  acquaintance,  rubbed  himself  backward  and  for- 
ward against  the  grating  of  his  den,  and  appeared 
highly  delighted.  Notwithstanding  the  urgent  request 
that  he  would  not  expose  himself  to  so  much  danger, 
the  man  begged  to  be  let  into  the  den,  and  with  so 
much  entreaty,  that  he  was  at  last  suffered  to  enter. 
The  emotions  of  the  animal  seemed  roused  in  the  most 
grateful  manner.  He  rubbed  himself  against  him,  licked 
his  hands,  fawned  upon  him  like  a  cat,  and  in  no  respect 
attempted  to  injure  him.  The  man  remained  there  two 
or  three  hours  ;  and  he  at  last  began  to  fancy  there 
would  be  some  difficulty  in  getting  out  alone.  Such 
VOL.  II.— 5 


50  NATURAL   BISTORT. 

was  the  affection  of  the  animal  towards  his  former 
friend,  and  so  close  did  he  keep  to  his  person,  as  to 
render  his  escape  by  no  means  so  easy  as  he  had  e.v- 
pected.  With  some  care,  however,  he  got  the  Tiger 
beyond  the  partition  of  the  two  dens,  and  the  keeper 
watching  his  opportunity,  closed  the  slide,  and  sepa 
rated  them." 


THE  JAOTTAR, 

WHICH  is  sometimes  called  the  American  Tiger,  is 
one  of  the  most  formidable  animals  of  the  New  World. 
He  is  to  be  found  in  the  southern  division  of  America, 
from  Paraguay  to  Guiana ;  but  he  does  not  appear  to 
inhabit  to  the  northward  of  the  isthmus  of  Darien. 
Even  in  the  south  the  race  is  gradually  growing  more 
rare,  in  consequence  of  the  double  temptation  to  destroy 
him,  which  is  offered  by  the  desire  of  getting  rid  of  a 
beast  so  destructive  to  the  flocks,  and  by  the  high  price 
which  is  obtained  for  his  skin. 

More  robust  and  more  clumsy  than. the  leopard,  he 
is  aho  m  ich  supeiior  in  si?e,  an  he  often  meisurts 
four  or  five  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  root  of  the  tail. 
His  head  is  larger  and  rounder  than  the  leopard's,  his 
limbs  are  shorter,  and  his  tail  is  of  such  a  length  as 
only  to  allow  the  tip  to  trail  on  the  ground  when  the  ani- 
mal stands  erect.  Above  the  line  of  the  eyes,  the  profile 
is  also  more  prominent.  "  These  differences  of  form 
(says  Mr.  Bennett)  are  accompanied  by  differences  in 
colour  and  markings  equally  decisive.  The  general 
appearance  is  at  the  first  glance  the  same  in  both ;  but 
the  open  roses  of  the  leopard  are  scarcely  more  than 
half  the  size  of  those  of  the  Jaguar,  and  they  all  enclose 
a  space  of  one  uniform  colour,  in  which,  unless  in  some 
rare  and  accidental  instances,  no  central  spots  exist, 
while  in  the  latter  animal  most  of  those  which  are 
arranged  along  the  upper  surface  near  the  middle  line 
of  the  back  are  distinguished  by  one  or  two  small  black 
spots  enclosed  within  their  circuit.  The  middle  line 
itself  is  occupied  in  the  leopard  by  open  roses  inter- 
mixed with  a  few  black  spots  of  small  size  and  roundish 
form  ;  that  of  the  Jaguar,  on  the  contrary,  is  marked 
by  one  or  two  regular  longitudinal  lines  of  broad  elon- 
gated deep  black  patches,  sometimes  extf  nding  several 


THE  JAGUAR.  61 

inches  in  length,  and.  occasionally  forming  tn  almost 
continuous  band  from  between  the  shoulders  lo  the  tail. 
The  black  rings  towards  the  tip  of  the  latter  are  also 
more  completely  circular  than  in  the  leopard." 

The  Jaguar  is  a  solitary  animal,  residing  in  forests, 
especially  near  large  rivers.  He  is  an  excellent  swim- 
mer. D'Azara  tells  us,  partly  from  personal  observa- 
tion, that,  after  a  Jaguar  had  destroyed  a  horse,  he 
dragged  the  b  >dy  sixty  paces,  and  then  swam  with  it 
over  a  broad  <  nd  deep  river.  He  is  equally  expert  at 
climbing.  "  I  have  seen  (says  M.  Sonini)  in  the  forests 
of  Guiana,  the  prints  left  by  the  claws  of  the  Jaguar 
on  the  smooth  bark  of  a  tree  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in 
height,  measuring  about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  circum- 
ference, and  clothed  with  branches  near  its  summit 
alone.  It  was  easy  to  follow  with  the  eye  the  efforts 
which  the  animal  had  made  to  reach  the  branches  : 
although  his  talons  had  been  thrust  deeply  into  the 
body  of  the  tree,  he  had  met  with  several  slips,  but  he 
had  always  recovered  his  ground,  and,  attracted  no 
doubt  by  some  favourite  object  of  prey,  had  at  length 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  very  top." 

The  Jaguar  lies  in  ambush  for  his  prey,  on  which  he 
pounces  suddenly,  and  his  great  muscular  strength 
enables  him  instantly  to  bear  it  to  the  ground.  Man 
he  does  not  often  attack,  and  never  but  by  stealth. 
While  M.  Sonini  was  travelling  in  Guiana,  his  party 
was  closely  dogged  for  three  nights  by  one  of  these 
animals,  which  eluded  all  their  attempts  to  shoot  it, 
and  would,  doubtless,  have  carried  off  any  individual 
who  might  have  unguardedly  exposed  himself. 

Ferocious  as  he  is  in  his  wild  state,  the  Jaguar, 
when  captive,  becomes  tame  and  even  mild,  and  is 
particularly  fond  of  licking  the  hands  of  those  with 
whom  he  is  familiar. 

The  taking  of  the  Jaguar  forms  a  portion  of  the  war- 
like features  distinguishing  the  Indians  of  South  Ame- 
rica, particularly  the  Laneros,  or  men  of  the  plains. 
One  inducement  a  Laneros  has  in  pursuing  the  Jaguar 
is  the  honour  of  the  feat — for  the  value  of  its  skin  and 
the  little  depredations  it  commits  on  the  flocks,  would 
never,  I  apprehend  (says  a  late  traveller  in  South 
America)  induce  him  to  risk  a  single  combat  with  such 
fierce  animals ;  but  there  is  a  stronger  stimulus,  viz- 


62  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

that  killing  seven  Jaguars,  or  six  tigers,  will  give  him 
the  title  of  guapo,  or  warrior,  and  the  privilege  01 
choosing  the  fattest  virgin  for  his  companion  in  the 
tribe  ;  for  with  them  the  iady  who  is  most  en  bon  point 
is  most  beautiful.  This  alone  is  a  sufficient  inducement ; 
and  they  endeavour  to  complete  their  task  as  early  as 
the  age  of  seventeen.  At  the  approach  of  the  breed- 
ing season,  they  watch  with  great  assiduity  the  battles 
that  take  place  between  the  male  and  the  female,  as 
this  is  a  sure  indication  of  her  littering,  not  wishing 
to  have  the  male  know  where  she  deposits  the  Cubs, 
as  some  naturalists  assert  that  he  eats  them  ;  others 
that  he  hugs  them  to  death.  However  this  be,  she 
never  suffers  him  to  approach  the  jungle,  if  I  may 
be  allowed  to  call  it  so,  until  they  are  able  to  run  after 
her.  During  this  period  he  awaits  her  with  the  most 
tender  solicitude,  and  even  brings  her  a  portion  of  his 
prey.  He  is  seen  hovering  instinctively  about  the  place 
where  she  is  couched  at  noontide.  When  the  Laneros 
perceives  this,  he  envelopes  himself  in  a  Jaguar's  skin, 
and  approaches  him,  taking  good  care  to  have  the  wind 
in  his  favour,  as  the  Jaguar's  keen  scent  would  soon 
discover  the  imposition.  Even  this  sagacity  and  instinct 
they  think  they  have  got  over,  by  burning  plantain 
leaves  so  as  to  take  away  for  hours  any  scent  which 
the  human  body  has;  though  this  is  probably  a  mere 
fancy.  As  soon  as  the  Laneros  perceives  the  Jaguar,  he 
runs  from  him  on  all  fours,  and  endeavours  to  mimic  the 
whining  cry  of  the  beast,  which  by  some  is  said  to  be 
like  a  cat,  or  like  hogs  crouching  in  a  sty;  the  latter 
is  what  I  would  compare  them  to,  as  I  have  seen  them 
mustering  by  night  previous  to  hunting.  As  soon  as 
the  male  perceives  him,  he  bounds  towards  him  ;  when 
the  Laneros  dexterously  throws  the  noose  (the  lasso) 
over  him,  and  soon  strangles  him.  Sometimes  he 
wounds  him  with  his  lance,  and  then  a  sanguinary  con- 
flict takes  place.  As  the  Laneros  has  his  left  arm  well 
bound  round  with  tanned  horse-skin,  impervious  to  the 
Jaguar's  tusks,  he  presents  his  left  hand ;  as  soon  as 
the  Jaguar  seizes  it,  he  is  stabbed  with  a  long  knife, 
which  seldom  misses  the  heart,  as  the  principal  excel- 
lence of  a  guapo  is  killing  the  beast  with  as  few  stabs 
as  possible.  As  soon  as  he  dispatches  the  male,  the 
female  becomes  an  easy  prey.  Sometimes  the  Laneros, 


THE    LEOPARD.  53 

when  their  numbers  are  complete,  will,  to  show  their 
dexterity  and  address,  decoy  the  Jaguar  into  a  defile, 
when  the  man  uncovers  and  shows  himself;  the  Jaguar 
endeavours  to  retreat,  but  is  prevented  by  other  Indians, 
who  scare  him  with  firebrands,  for  they  can  produce 
fire  by  rubbing  two  piece*  of  wood  together,  as  quick 
as  if  with  tinder.  In  this  manner  they  worry  him  with 
dogs,  while  they  keep  him  at  bay  until  the  women 
arrive  to  witness  their  cruelty.  As  the  Jaguar  gets 
frantic  he  endeavours  to  bite  at  every  thing  near  him  ; 
as  often  as  the  creature  opens  his  mouth  he  is  sure  to 
have  a  burning  torch  rammed  into  his  throat,  until  mad- 
ness exhausts  him,  and  he  is  no  longer  able  to  close 
his  jaws;  then  the  women  and  boys  descend  from  their 
high  positions,  chop  oif  his  paws,  hammer  out  his  teeth, 
and  often  skin  him  alive,  while  the  boys  are  smeared 
with  the  blood,  in  order  to  make  them  good  warriors, 
and  the  mothers  take  delight  in  seeing  the  animosity 
they  have  to  the  creature,  even  when  no  longer  able 
to  do  any  injury.  As  to  the  female  Jaguar,  they  have 
only  to  come  near  her  couching  place  to  provoke  a 
quarrel,  as  she  will  often  attack  them  before  they  are 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  it:  in  her  they  sometimes 
find  a  more  formidable  enemy  than  in  the  male,  al- 
though much  inferior  in  point  of  size  and  strength,  but 
more  subtle  and  crafty:  their  bite  is  difficult  to  heal, 
and  the  Laneros  think  a  wound  from  a  Jaguar  a  great 
disgrace ;  so  much  so  that  a  young  aspirant  for  the 
title  of  guapo,  who  had  the  misfortune  of  being  wound- 
ed in  a  rencontre,  was  so  much  ashamed  of  acknow- 
ledging it,  that  he  suffered  a  mortification  sooner  than 
expose  the  wound,  although  he  was  well  aware  the 
women  possessed  a  salve  that  would  cure  him. 

THE  LEOPARD, 

THIS  formidable  and  sanguinary  animal  is  found 
nearly  throughout  tlie  whole  of  Africa,  and  in  eastern 
and  southern  Asia.  He  usually  measures  about  three 
feet  in  length,  exclusive  of  the  tail,  but  sometimes 
reaches  four  feet.  His  appearance  indicates  his  natu- 
ral disposition.  He  has  a  restless  eye  and  a  sinister 
countenance,  and  all  his  motions  are  hasty  and  abrupt. 
In  rapidity,  agilitr,  and  precision  of  motion  he  is  unri- 
5* 


64  NATURAL    H.4T«KY. 

railed  by  auy  other  animal ;  an  advantage  which  he 
owes  to  the  strength  of  his  muscles,  the  suppleness  of 
his  joints,  the  extreme  pliability  of  his  spine,  the  great- 
er lateral  compression  of  his  body,  and  the  slender 
proportions  of  his  limbs.  His  prey,  on  which  he  darts 
from  his  hiding-place,  and  even  pursues  up  the  trees, 
consists  of  antelopes,  monkeys,  and  the  smaller  quad- 
rupeds. Usually,  he  shuns  man,  but,  when  closely 
pressed,  he  turns  upon  the  hunter,  and  hunger  will 
drive  him  to  attack,  though  by  stealth,  the  human  race. 

"Even  among  the  cats  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  he  is 
remarkable  for  extreme  sleekness  and  excessive  agility. 
He  is  well  distinguished  from  all  the  other  species  by 
the  vividness  of  his  colouring  and  the  beauty  of  his 
markings.  These  consist  of  numerous  rows  of  large 
rose-like  spots  passing  along  his  sides,  each  formed  of 
the  confluence  of  several  smaller  black  spots  into  an 
irregular  circle  enclosing  a  fawn-coloured  centre,  upon 
a  general  ground  colour  of  light  yellow.  On  his  head, 
neck,  and  limbs,  and  the  central  line  of  his  back,  the 
spots  run  into  one  another  so  completely  as  to  form 
full  patches  of  smaller  size  than  the  open  roses,  and 
without  central  yellow.  The  under  parts  of  his  body, 
as  is  usual  in  most  quadrupeds,  become  gradually  of  a 
lighter  hue,  the  throat,  chest,  and  abdomen,  being  of  a 
pure  and  delicate  white.  His  tail  is  equal  in  length  to 
the  entire  body  excluding  the  head  ;  and  is  marked  by 
a  continuation  of  the  open  roses  of  the  sides,  which 
become  towards  its  extremity  separated  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  surround  the  upper  surface  with  partial  rings 
of  black  alternating  with  white.  The  whiskers  'are 
long  and  white,  and  implanted  in  a  series  of  black  lines 
which  traverse  his  lips." 

In  captivity  the  Leopard  has  been  sometimes  brought 
to  a  considerable  degree  of  tameness.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, very  safe  to  trust  them  ;  for  their  original  nature 
is  now  and  then  unexpectedly  displayed.  The  female 
Leopard  in  the  Tower  is  extremely  tame,  suffers  her- 
self to  be  patted  by  the  keeper,  and  licks  his  hands. 
She  has  a  curious  propensity  to  destroy  such  articles 
of  dress  as  she  can  seize  ;  and  has  torn  to  pieces  hun- 
dreds of  parasols,  umbrellas,  muffs,  and  hats,  which  the 
owners  unwarily  suffered  to  come  within  reach  of  her 
sudden  and  agile  spring. 


THE  PANTHER.  65 


THE  PANTHER 

RESEMBLES  the  tiger  in  its  habits,  and  the  leopard  in 
«ts  skin.  Like  the  tiger  it  has  an  insatiable  thirst  of 
blood,  and  an  untameable  ferocity ;  like  the  leopard 
its  skin  is  spotted,  but  is  less  beautiful  than  the  skin  of 
that  animal.  It  seems,  in  truth,  only  a  large  variety 
of  the  leopard.  The  Panther  is  usually  more  than  six 
feet  long,  independent  of  the  tail,  which  is  about  three 
feet  in  length.  In  Africa,  one  was  killed  by  Major 
Denham,  which  was  more  than  eight  feet  in  length. 
His  hair  is  short,  sleek,  and  mossy,  and  his  colour  is, 
in  general,  of  a  bright  tawny  yellow,  elegantly  marked 
with  black  spots,  disposed  in  circles  of  four  or  five 
each,  with  a  single  spot  in  the  centre :  his  chest  and 
belly  are  white.  He  has  short  and  pointed  ears,  fierce 
and  restless  eyes,  a  strong  harsh  cry,  and  a  savage 
sspect.  So  rapid  are  his  movements  that  few  animals 
can  escape  him,  and  such  is  his  agility  that  he  climbs 
trees  in  pursuit  of  his  prey,  and  is  sure  of  seizing  his 
victim.  The  flesh  of  animals  is  said  to  be  his  favourite 
food,  but  when  pressed  by  hunger  he  makes  his  attacks 
without  discrimination. 

In  the  time  of  the  Romans,  Panthers  appear  to  have 
been  very  numerous,  and  at  present  the  species  is  said 
to  extend  from  Barbary  to  the  remotest  parts  of  Guinea. 

It  must  be  observed,  that  it  is  very  doubtful  whether 
the  Panther  has  ever  yet  been  represented  in  any 
drawing.  Temminck  is  of  opinion  that  all  the  nomi- 
nal representations  of  Panthers  are  really  those  of 
leopards. 

The  following  narrative  of  an  encounter  with  a  Pan- 
ther, which  is  copied  from  the  Library  of  Entertaining 
Knowledge,  will  abundantly  prove  the  formidable 
nature  of  the  Panther,  even  when  the  animal  is  not  of 
its  largest  size. 

"  I  was  at  Jaffna,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
island  of  Ceylon,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1819 
(says  the  writer,)  when,  one  morning,  my  servant 
called  me  an  hour  or  two  before  my  usual  time,  with 
"  Master,  master  !  people  sent  for  master's  dogs — tiger 
in  the  town  !"  Now,  my  dogs  chanced  to  be  some 
very  degenerate  specimens  of  a  fine  species,  called  the 


~66  JfATURAL    HISTORY. 

Poligar  dog,  which  I  should  designate  as  \  sort  of  wiry- 
haired  greyhound,  without  scent.  I  kept  them  to  hum 
jackals ;  but  tigers  are  very  different  things :  by  the 
\ray,  there  are  no  real  tigers  in  Ceylon  ;  but  leopards 
and  Panthers  are  always  called  so,  and  by  ourselves  as 
well  as  by  the  natives.  This  turned  out  to  be  a  Pan- 
ther. My  gun  chanced  not  to  be  put  together;  and 
while  my  servants  were  doing  it,  the  collector  and  two 
medical  men,  who  had  recently  arrived,  in  consequence 
of  the  cholera  morbus  having  just  then  reached  Ceylon, 
from  the  continent,  came  to  my  door,  the  former  armed 
with  a  fowling-piece,  and  the  two  latter  with  remark- 
ably blunt  hog-spears.  They  insisted  upon  setting  off 
without  waiting  for  my  gun,  a  proceeding  not  much  to 
my  taste.  The  tiger  (I  must  continue  to  call  him  so) 
had  taken  refuge  in  a  hut,  the  roof  of  which,  as  those 
of  Ceylon  huts  in  general,  spread  to  the  ground  like  an 
umbrella ;  the  only  aperture  into  it  was  a  small  door, 
about  four  feet  high.  The  collector  wanted  to  jjet  the 
tiger  out  at  once.  I  begged  to  wait  for  my  gun ;  but 
no — the  fowling-piece  (loaded  with  ball,  of  course,) 
and  the  two  hog-spears  were  quite  enough.  I  got  a 
hedge-stake,  and  awaited  my  fate,  from  very  shame. 
At  this  moment,  to  my  great  delight,  there  arrived 
from  the  fort  an  English  officer,  two  artillery-men,  and 
a  Malay  captain  ;  and  a  pretty  figure  we  should  have 
cut  without  them,  as  the  event  will  show.  I  was  no\r 
quite  ready  to  attack,  and  my  gun  came  a  minute  after- 
wards. The  whole  scene  which  follows  took  place 
within  an  enclosure,  about  twenty  feet  square,  formed, 
on  three  sides,  by  a  strong  fence  of  palmyra  leaves, 
and  on  the  fourth  by  the  hut.  At  the  door  of  this  the 
two  artillery-men  planted  themselves ;  and  the  Malay 
captain  got  at  the  top,  to  frighten  the  tiger  out,  by  wor- 
rying it — an  easy  operation,  as  the  huts  there  are 
covered  with  cocoa-nut  leaves.  One  of  the  artillery- 
men wanted  to  go  in  to  the  tiger,  but  we  would  not 
suffer  it.  At  last  the  beast  sprang  ;  this  man  received 
him  on  his  bayonet,  which  he  thrust  apparently  down 
his  throat,  firing  his  piece  at  the  same  moment.  The 
bayonet  broke  off  short,  leaving  less  than  three  inches 
on  the  musket;  the  rest  remained  in  the  animal,  but 
was  invisible  to  us:  the  shot  j  robablv  went  through 
hb  cheek,  fo~  it  certainly  did  m  t  seriously  injure  him. 


THE   CIIKTAH.  67 

as  he  instantly  rose  upon  his  legs,  with  a  loud  roar,  and 
placed  his  paws  upon  the  soldier's  breast.  At  this 
moment,  the  animal  appeared  to  me  about  to  reach  the 
centre  of  the  man's  face ;  but  I  had  scarcely  time  to 
observe  this,  when  the  tiger,  stooping  his  head,  seized 
the  soldier's  arm  in  his  mouth,  turned  him  half  round 
staggering,  threw  him  over  on  his  back,  and  fell  upon 
him.  Our  dread  now  was,  that  if  we  fired  upon  the 
tiger,  we  might  kill  the  man  :  for  the  moment  there 
was  a  pause,  when  his  comrade  attacked  the  beast 
exactly  in  the  same  manner  as  the  gallant  fellow  him- 
self had  done.  He  struck  his  bayonet  into  his  head  ; 
the  tiger  rose  at  him — he  fired ;  and  this  time  the  ball 
took  effect,  and  in  the  head.  The  'animal  staggered 
backwards,  and  we  all  poured  in  our  fire.  He  still 
kicked  and  writhed  ;  when  the  gentlemen  with  the 
hog-spears  advanced,  and  fixed  him,  while  some 
natives  finished  him,  by  beating  him  on  the  head  with 
hedge-stakes.  The  brave  artillery-man  was,  after  all, 
but  slightly  hurt :  he  claimed  the  skin,  which  was 
very  cheerfully  given  to  him.  There  was,  however,  a 
cry  among  the  natives  that  the  head  should  be  cut  off: 
it  was  ;  and,  in  so  doing,  the  knife  came  directly  across 
the  bayonet.  The  animal  measured  scarcely  less  than 
four  feet  from  the  root  of  the  tail  to  the  muzzle. 
There  was  no  tradition  of  a  tiger  having  been  in  Jaffna 
before;  indeed  this  one  must  have  either  come  a  dis- 
tance of  almost  twenty  miles,  or  have  swam  across  an 
arm  of  the  sea  nearly  two  in  breadth  ;  for  Jaffna  stands 
on  a  peninsula  on  which  there  is  no  jungle  of  any 
mrgnitude." 


THE  CHETAH. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  called  the  Youze  in  Persia, 
the  Chetah  in  India,  and  to  which  Pennant  gave  the 
name  of  the  Hunting  Leopard,  is  a  native  of  Africa 
and  Southern  Asia.  With  the  distinguishing  charac- 
teristics of  the  cat  species,  it  combines  somewhat  of 
the  dog.  Unlike  those  of  the  cat,  its  claws  are  only 
slightly  retractile.  In  size  he  is  intermediate  between 
the  leopard  and  the  hound,  but  has  a  slenderer  body, 
more  elevation  in  his  legs,  and  a  less  flat  fore-part  of 
the  head  thar  the  former,  while  he  wants  the  graceful 


58  NATVRAL   HISTORY. 

and  lengthened  form  of  head  and  body  by  which  the 
latter  is  distinguished.  His  fur  is  not  sleek,  but  has  a 
peculiar  crispness.  Above-  the  ground  colour  is  a 
bright  yellowish  fawn  ;  beneath,  it  is  a  pure  white  ;  the 
back  and  sides  are  covered  with  innumerable  spots, 
close  to  each  other,  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in 
diameter.  The  spots  are  larger,  but  less  closely  set, 
on  the  back  than  on  the  head,  sides,  and  limbs.  On 
the  chest  and  under  part  of  the  body  they  are  wanting. 
The  tail  is  marked  with  interrupted  rings  of  them,  till 
near  the  extremity,  which  is  surrounded  by  three  or 
four  complete  rings.  Along  the  back  of  the  neck  and 
the  anterior  part  of  the  spine,  is  a  mane,  consisting  of 
longer,  crisper,  and  more  upright  hairs. 

In  the  east  he  is  used  in  hunting  by  the  higher 
classes.  Hiding  himself  as  much  as  possible,  he 
approaches  the  object,  and  when  he  has  come  suffi- 
ciently near  to  the  object,  he  makes  five  or  six  enor- 
mous bounds,  with  incredible  velocity,  darts  on  his 
victim,  and  instantly  strangles  him.  In  his  domes- 
ticated state,  the  Chetah  is  one  of  the  most  playful  and 
fond  of  animals  He  has  not  the  slightest  appearanct 
of  the  caprice  and  mischievousness  of  the  cat. 

THE   LYNX 

Is  an  animal  more  commonly  found  in  cold  than  in 
temperate  climates  ;  and  is  at  least  very  rare  in  hot 
ones.  Bory  St.  Vincent,  however,  assures  us  that  he 
shot  several  in  Spain.  It  is  abundant  in  the  northern 
parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America.  The  Lynx  of  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  was  not  the  animal  which  now 
bears  that  name,  but  the  caracal. 

The  Lynx,  of  which  the  ancients  have  said,  that  the 
sight  was  so  sharp  as  to  penetrate  opaque  bodies,  and 
of  which  the  urine  was  made  to  possess  the  marvellous 
property  of  hardening  into  a  solid  substance,  a  precious 
stone  called  lapis  lyncurius,  is  an  animal  which  never 
existed,  any  more  than  all  the  properties  attributed  to 
it,  but  in  fable.  To  the  present  Lynx,  or  to  the  cara- 
cal, this  imaginary  one  has  no  affinity,  but  in  name. 
We  must  not,  therefore,  as  the  generality  of  naturalists 
have  hitherto  done,  attribute  to  the  former,  which  is  a 
rsal  being,  the  prop<  ties  of  this  imaginary  one,  the 


THE   LYNX.  59 

existence  of  vvhich  Pliny  himself  does  not  seem  dis« 
posed  to  believe,  since  he  speaks  of  it  only  as  an  extra- 
ordinary beast,  and  classes  it  with  the  sphynx,  the 
pegasus,  and  other  prodigies,  or  monsters,  the  produce 
of  ^Ethiopia, 

Our  Lynx  possesses  not  the  wonderful  quality  of 
seeing  through  walls ;  but  it  has  bright  eyes,  a  mild 
aspect,  and,  upon  the  whole,  an  agreeable  and  lively 
appearance.  Such,  however,  is  its  native  ferocity,  that 
it  is  said  to  be  incapable  of  being  subdued.  Its  urine 
produces  not  precious  stones,  but  like  the  cat,  an  ani- 
mal which  it  nearly  resembles,  and  of  which  it  retains 
the  manners,  and  even  the  cleanliness,  it  covers  it  over 
with  earth. 

The  most  beautiful  skins  of  the  Lynx  are  brought 
from  Siberia,  as  belonging  to  the  lupus-cervarius ; 
and  from  Canada,  as  belonging  to  the  felis-cervarius ; 
because  being,  like  all  other  animals  of  the  New  Con- 
tinent, smaller  than  those  of  the  Old  World,  in  Europe 
they  are  compared  to  a  wolf  in  size,  and  in  Canada  to 
a  \\ild  cat. 

The  Lynx  has  short  legs,  and  is  generally  about  the 
size  of  the  fox.  The  ears  are  erect,  and  are  tipped 
with  a  long  pencil  of  black  hair.  The  fur,  which  is 
long  and  thick,  is  of  a  pale  gray  colour,  with  a  reddish 
tinge,  and  obscurely  marked  with  small  dusky  spots 
on  the  upper  parts  of  the  body.  The  under  parts  are 
white.  The  skin  of  the  male  is  more  beautifully  marked 
than  that  of  the  female.  It  does  not  walk  or  run  like 
the  wolf  in  a  progressive  motion,  but  leaps  and  bounds 
like  the  cat.  It  gains  its  whole  subsistence  by  devour- 
ing other  animals  ;  and  these  it  will  follow  to  the  very 
tops  of  trees.  Neither  can  the  wild  cat,  the  martin, 
the  ermine,  nor  the  squirrel,  escape  its  pursuit.  It  also 
seizes  birds,  lies  in  wait  for  the  stag,  the  roebuck,  and 
the  hare,  and  with  one  bound  often  seizes  them  by  the 
throat.  When  in  possession  of  its  prey,  it  first  sucks 
the  blood  of  the  animal,  and  then  lays  open  his  head, 
in  order  to  devour  the  brains.  This  done,  it  generally 
abandons  the  victim  of  its  fury,  goes  in  search  of  fresh 
prey,  and  is  seldom  known  to  return  to  the  former;  a 
circumstance  which  has  given  rise  to  the  vulgar  remark, 
that  of  all  animals  the  Lynx  has  the  shortest  memory. 
The 'skin  of  this  animal  changes  its  colour  according 


flO  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

to  the  season  and  the  climate.  In  winter  it  is  in  every 
respect  better  than  it  is  in  summer  ;  and  its  flesh,  like 
the  flesh  of  all  beasts  of  prey,  is  not  proper  to  eat. 

THE  CARACAL,  OR  SIYA-GUSH. 

THOUGH  the  Caracal  resembles  the  lynx  in  size,  in 
the  formation  of  the  body,  and  the  aspect  of  the  head  ; 
and,  though  like  that  animal,  it  seems  to  have  the  pecu- 
liar, and  almost  singular  characteristic  of  a  stripe  ol 
black  hair  at  the  extremity  of  the  ears;  I  do  not  scru- 
ple, nevertheless,  from  their  disagreement  in  other 
respects,  to  treat  of  them  as  animals  of  different  spe- 
cies. 

The  Caracal  is  not  spotted  like  the  lynx  ;  it  has  hair 
rougher  and  shorter,  its  tail  is  larger,  and  of  a  uniform 
colour ;  its  snout  is  more  elongated  ;  in  appearance  it 
is  less  mild,  and  in  disposition  it  is  fiercer.  The  lynx 
is  an  inhabitant  of  the  cold,  or  at  most  of  the  tempe- 
rate regions  ;  the  Caracal  is  only  found  in  the  hot  coun- 
tries ;  and  it  is  as  much  from  their  difference  in  dispo- 
sition and  climate  that  I  have  judged  them  to  be  of  two 
different  species,  as  from  the  inspection  and  compari- 
son of  the  animals  themselves. 

The  Caracal,  which  is  the  lynx  of  the  ancients,  is 
common  in  Barbary,  in  Arabia,  and  in  the  southern 
half  of  Asia,  and  in  all  those  countries  which  are  inha- 
bited by  the  lion,  the  panther,  and  the  leopard  ;  like 
them  it  depends  on  prey  for  its  subsistence ;  but,  unlike 
them,  from  its  inferior  size,  its  inferior  strength,  to 
procure  that  prey  it  has  much  difficulty.  Hardly, 
indeed,  has  it  aught  to  subsist  on  but  what  the  more 
potent  carnivorous  anima's  are  disposed  to  leave  for  it. 
It  follows  the  lion,  who,  when  the  immediate  cravings 
of  his  appetite  are  gratified,  is  of  a  disposition  altoge- 
ther un hostile.  From  the  refuse  of  what  this  noble 
animal  has  devoured,  the  Caracal  frequently  enjoys  a 
comfortable  meal.  When,  however,  he  is  left  to  his 
own  powers  for  support,  he  attacks  hares,  rabbits,  and 
birds ;  of  the  latter  he  is  exceedingly  fond,  and  will 
pursue  them  with  astonishing  swiftness  to  the  tops  of 
the  tallest  trees. 

The  Caracal  is  somewhat  larger  than  a  fox,  and 
much  fiercer  and  stronger.  It  has  been  know;*  jo 


PUMA.       P.  40. 


CARACAL.       P.  60. 


THE   HYJENA.  01 

attack,  tear  in  pieces,  and  destroy  in  a  few  minutes,  a 
large  dog,  who,  fighting  for  his  life,  defended  himself 
with  all  his  strength.  It  is  very  difficult  to  tame  this 
animal ;  yet  if  taken  when  very  young,  and  afterwards 
reared  with  care,  some  affirm  that  it  may  be  trained  to 
the  chase,  to  which  it  is  by  nature  inclined,  and  in 
which  it  is  sure  to  succeed,  provided  it  is  not  let  loose 
but  against  such  animals  as  are  its  inferiors,  and  unable 
to  resist  it.  Should  it  be  a  service  of  danger,  with 
every  expression  of  reluctance  it  declines  it.  It  is 
stated  that  in  India  they  make  use  of  this  animal  to 
lake  hares,  rabbits,  and  even  large  birds,  ail  of  which 
it  surprises,  and  seizes  with  singular  address  and  faci- 
lity. It  is,  however,  doubtful  whether  the  Caracal  is 
ever  thus  employed.  In  captivity  it  is  extremely  sulky, 
and  growls  fiercely  whenever  it  is  notifpd. 

THE   STRIPED   HYAENA. 

So  striking,  and  even  so  singular  are  the  characte- 
ristics of  the  Hya?na,  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  be 
deceived  by  them.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  only  quadruped 
which  has  but  four  toes  to  either  the  fore  or  hind  feet ; 
like  the  badger  it  has  an  aperture  under  the  tail,  which 
does  not  penetrate  into  the  interior  parts  of  the  body  ; 
its  ears  are  long,  straight,  and  nearly  bare ;  its  head  is 
more  square  and  shorter  than  that  of  the  wolf;  its  legs, 
the  hind  ones  especially,  are  longer ;  its  eyes  are 
placed  like  those  of  the  dog  ;  the  hair  and  mane  are  of 
a  brownish  gray,  with  transverse  dark  brown  or  black- 
ish bands  on  the  body,  which  stripes  become  oblique 
on  the  flanks  and  the  legs.  The  coat  is  of  two  sorts; 
fur  or  wool,  in  small  quantity,  and  long,  stiff,  and  silkv 
hair.  Its  height  varies  from  nineteen  to  twenty-five 
inches,  and  its  usual  length,  from  the  muzzle  to  the 
tail,  is  three  feet  three  inches. 

The  Striped  Hyaena  is  a  native  of  Barbary,  Egypt, 
Abyssinia,  Nubia,  Syria,  Persia,  and  the  East  Indies. 
It  generally  resides  in  the  caverns  of  mountains,  in  the 
clefts  of  rocks,  or  in  dens,  which  it  has  formed  for 
itself  under  the  earth.  It  lives  by  depredation,  like  the 
wolf;  but  it  is  a  stronger  animal,  and  seemingly  more 
daring.  It  sometimes  attacks  man,  carries  off  cattle, 
follows  the  flocks  breaks  oper  the  »heep-cotes  by 
VOL.  II.— 6 


02  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

night,  and  lavages  with  a  voracity  insatiable.  By  nighl 
also  its  eyes  shine ;  and  it  is  maintained  that  it  sees 
better  than  in  the  day.  If  we  may  credit  all  the  natu- 
ralists who  have  treated  of  this  animal,  its  cry  is  very 
peculiar,  beginning  with  something  like  the  moaning 
of  a  human  being,  and  ending  in  a  sound  which  resem- 
bles the  sobs  or  retchings  of  a  man  in  a  violent  fit  of 
vomiting;  but,  according  to  Kaempfer,  who  was  an  ear- 
witness  of  the  fact,  it  sounds  like  the  lowing  of  a  calf. 
When  at  a  loss  for  other  prey,  it  scrapes  up  the  earth 
with  its  feet,  and  devours  the  carcasses  both  of  animals 
and  men,  which,  in  the  countries  that  it  inhabits,  are 
interred  promiscuously  in  the  fields. 

Of  few  animals,  have  so  many  absurd  stories  been 
told  as  of  that  we  are  now  treating  of.  The  ancients 
have  gravely  written,  that  the  Hyaena  could  become 
male  and  female  alternately.  It  plainly  appears,  how- 
ever, that  the  circumstance  which  gave  rise  to  this 
fable,  is,  the  opening  in  the  form  of  a  cleft,  which  both 
the  male  and  the  female  have  independently  of  the  parts 
destined  for  the  purposes  of  generation.  It  has,  more- 
over been  aflirmed,  that  the  neck  co:isistrd  of  but  one 
jointless  bone,  which  bone  was  of  great  efficacy  in 
magical  invocations ;  that  this  creature  could  imitate 
the  human  voice  ;  that  it  remembered  the  names  of  the 
shepherds,  called  to  them,  charmed  them,  rendered  them 
motionless  ;  that,  at  the  same  time,  it  gave  chase  to  the 
shepherdesses;  caused  them  to  forget  their  flocks,  to 
be  distracted  with  love,  &,c.  All  these  things  might 
surely  happen  without  the  intervention  of  a  Hyaena ; 
and  I  conclude  this  article,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
reproach  which  is  due  to  Pliny,  of  seeming  to  take  a 
pleasure  in  compiling  and  publishing  fables. 


THE    SPOTTED    HY.ENA. 

THIS  animal  is  a  native  of  Southern  Africa,  and 
abounds  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  where  it  is  called  the  Tiger  Wolf.  It  is  some- 
what inferior  in  size  to  the  striped  Hyama,  but,  in  its 
wild  state  has  the  same  manners  and  propensities.  Its 
short  muzzle  is  less  abruptly  truncated,  and  its  ears, 
short  and  broad  in  form,  are  of  u  nearly  quadrilateral 
figure.  The  general  colour  of  the  hide  is  a  dirty  yel- 


THE    CIVET.  03 

Jo  w,  or  yellowish  brown,  and  the  nrhole  body  is  covered 
with  spots  of  a  blackish  brown,  excepting  the  under 
part  of  the  belly  and  of  the  breast,  the  inner  surface  of 
the  limbs  and  the  head.  The  muzzle  is  black,  and  the 
tail  covered  with  long  bushy  hair  of  a  blackish  brown. 
Like  the  striped  Hyaena,  the  spotted  species  has  jaws 
of  enormous  strength,  with  which  it  easily  breaks  to 
pieces  the  hardest  bones. 

It  is  a  common  but  erroneous  idea,  that  the  Hyaena 
is  wholly  savage  and  untameable.  Both  species  have 
been  tamed,  and  instances  are  recorded  of  individuals 
having  manifested  all  the  attachment  of  a  dog.  The 
Striped  Hyaena  has  recently  been  domesticated  in  the 
Cape  territory,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  best  hunt- 
ers after  game,  and  as  faithful  and  diligent  as  any  of 
the  common  domestic  dogs.  The  truth  is,  that  the 
Hyaena  has  a  very  natural  aversion  to  close  confine- 
ment, and  when  exhibited,  as  he  generally  is,  in  a  nar- 
row cage,  he  is  miserable,  and  consequently  irritable. 
In  a  man,  similarly  situated,  the  expression  of  anger 
would  be  praised  as  a  generous  hatred  of  slavery.  • 

The  Hyaena  was  undoubtedly  once  an  inhabitant  not 
only  of  the  European  continent,  but  also  of  the  British 
islands.  His  bones  have  been  found  in  various  parts 
of  England  and  Wales,  and  particularly  in  a  cave  at 
Kirby  Moorside,  in  Yorkshire.  That  cave,  which  was 
evidently  the  abode  of  numerous  Hyaenas,  likewise  con- 
tains bones  of  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  the  hippo- 
potamus, the  horse,  the  ox,  the  bear,  various  kinds  of 
deer,  the  fox,  the  water-rat,  and  several  birds. 

THE    CIVET. 

THE  generality  of  naturalists  have  been  of  opinion, 
that  there  is  only  one  species  of  animals  that  furnish 
the  perfume  known  by  the  name  of  civet.  Two  animals 
that  furnish  it,  however,  are  easily  distinguishable.  < 

To  the  first  of  these  animals  I  have  appropriated  its 
original  name  of  Civet ;  and  to  the  second,  for  the  sake 
of  distinction,  I  have  given  that  of  zibet. 

The  latter  animal  differs  from  the  Civet,  in  having  a 
body  longer  and  less  thick,  a  snout  flatter,  more  slen- 
der and  somewhat  concave  at  the  upper  part ;  its  hair 
is  much  shorter  and  softer ;  it  nas  no  mane,  no  black 


64  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

under  the  eyes,  or  upon  the  cheeks.  All  these  charac- 
teristics are  peculiar  to,  and  very  remarkable  in,  the 
Civet.  Some  travellers  had  already  suspected  that 
there  were  two  species  of  Civets ;  but  no  person  had 
distinguished  them  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  describe 
them. 

These  animals  have  been  called  Musk  Cats,  or 
Civet  Cats;  yet  they  are  not  of  the  cat  species;  which, 
however,  they  resemble  in  some'  zoological  points,  and 
in  their  activity,  and  their  predatory,  sanguinary,  and 
nocturnal  habits.  They  somewhat  resemble  the  fox, 
especially  in  the  head.  Their  coat  is  diversified  with 
stripes  and  spots;  a  circumstance  which  has  occasioned 
them  to  be  mistaken  for  small  panthers,  by  persons  who 
had  only  seen  them  at  a  distance.  In  every  other  res- 
pect, however,  they  differ  from  the  panther. 

The  Civet  is  from  two  to  three  feet  in  length,  stands 
from  ten  to  twelve  inches  high,  and  has  a  tail  half  the 
length  of  its  body.  The  hair  is  long,  and  the  ground 
colour  of  it  is  a  brownish  gray,  interspersed  with  nu- 
merous transverse  interrupted  bands  or  irregular  spots 
of  black.  Along  the  centre  of  the  back,  from  between 
the  shoulders  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  is  a  kind  of  mane, 
which  can  be  erected  or  depressed  as  the  animal  pleases, 
and  which  is  formed  of  black  hairs,  longer  than  those 
of  the  body.  The  sides  of  the  neck  and  the  upper  lip 
are  nearly  white.  The  legs  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
tail  are  perfectly  black ;  there  is  a  large  black  patch 
round  each  eye,  which  passes  thence  to  the  corner  of 
the  mouth;  and  two  or  three  bands  of  the  same  colour 
stretch  obliquely  from  the  base  of  the  ears  towards  the 
shoulder  and  neck,  the  latter  of  which  is  marked  with 
a  black  patch. 

The  perfume  of  the  Civet  is  very  strong,  and  that  of 
the  zibet  is  so  to  an  excess.  This  humour  is  found  in 
the  opening  which  each  of  these  animals  has  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  genitals ;  and  though  the  odour 
is  so  strong,  it  is  yet  agreeable,  even  when  it  issues 
from  the  body  of  the  animal.  The  perfume  of  the  Civet 
we  must  not  confound  with  musk,  which  is  a  sanguin- 
eous humour  obtained  from  an  animal  altogether  diffei- 
ent  from  either  the  Civet  or  the  zibet. 

The  Civets,  though  natives  of  the  hottest  climates  of 
Africa  and  of  Asia,  are  yet  capable  of  living  in  temper 


THE  CIVET.  DO 

ate,  and  even  in  cold  countries,  provided  they  are 
carefully  defended  from  the  injuries  of  the  air,  and  pro- 
vided with  delicate  and  esculent  food.  In  Holland, 
where  no  small  emolument  is  derived  from  their  per- 
fume, they  are  frequently  reared.  The  perfume  of 
Amsterdam  is  esteemed  preferable  to  that  which  is 
brought  from  the  Levant,  or  the  Indies,  which  is  gene- 
rally less  genuine.  That  which  is  imported  from  Gui- 
nea would  be  the  best  of  any,  were  it  not  that  the 
Negroes,  as  well  as  the  Indians  and  the  people  of  the 
Levant,  adulterate  it  with  mixtures  of  laudanum,  storax, 
and  other  balsamic  and  odorous  drugs. 

Those  who  breed  these  animals  for  the  sake  of  their 
perfume,  put  them  into  a  long  and  narrow  sort  of  box, 
in  which  they  cannot  turn.  This  box  the  person  who 
is  employed  to  collect  the  perfume  opens  behind,  fjr 
this  purpose  twice  or  thrice  a  week  ;  and  dragging  the 
animal  which  is  confined  in  it  backward  by  the  tail,  he 
keeps  it  in  this  position  by  a  bar  before.  This  done, 
he  takes  out  the  civet  with  a  small  spoon,  carefully 
scraping  with  it,  all  the  while,  the  interior  coats  of  the 
pouch.  The  perfume  thus  obtained  is  put  into  a  ves- 
sel ;  and  every  care  is  taken  to  keep  it  closely  shut. 

The  quantity  which  a  single  animal  will  afford  de 
pends  greatly  upon  its  appetite,  and  the  quality  of  its 
nourishment.  It  yields  more  in  proportion  as  it  is  more 
delicately  and  abundantly  fed.  Raw  flesh  hashed  small, 
eggs,  rice,  small  animals,  birds,  young  fowls,  and  par- 
ticularly fish,  are  the  food  in  which  the  Civet  most 
delights. 

As  to  the  rest,  the  Civet  is  a  wild,  fierce  animal,  and, 
though  sometimes  tamed,  is  yet  never  thoroughly  fami- 
liar. Its  teeth  are  strong  and  sharp  ;  but  its  claws  are 
feeble  and  blunt.  It  is  light  and  active,  and  lives  by 
prey,  pursuing  birds,  and  other  small  animals,  which  it 
is  able  to  overcome.  It  generally  attacks  at  night,  and 
by  surprise.  They  are  sometimes  seen  stealing  into 
yards  and  outhouses,  like  the  fox,  in  order  to  carry  off 
poultry.  Their  eyes  shine  in  the  night ;  and  it  is  very 
probable  that  they  see  better  by  night  than  by  flay. 
When  they  fail  of  animal  food,  they  are  found  to  subsist 
upon  roots  and  fruits.  They  very  seldom  drink  ;  nor 
do  they  ever  inhabit  humid  ground  ;  but  in  burning 
•ands,  and  in  am  mountains,  they  cheerfully  remain. 
6* 


XATtHAL    HIbTOhY. 


THE    JAVANESE    CIVET 

« 

DiFFEUii  considerably  from  the  common  Civet.  The 
body  narrow,  compressed,  and  higher  behind  than 
before,  is  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  long.  The 
back  is  strongly  arched.  The  muzzle  is  narrow  and 
tapering  ;  the  ears  short  and  rounded  ;  the  profile  forms 
a  perfectly  straight  line  ;  the  tail,  tapering  gradually  to 
the  tip,  is  as  long  as  the  body,  and  is  marked  with 
eight  or  nine  broad  black  rings,  which  alternate  with 
as  many  of  a  grayish  hue.  A  much  lighter  gray  than 
that  of  the  Civet  composes  the  ground  colour  ;  there  is 
a  broad  longitudinal  dorsal  line  of  black,  and  on  each 
side  two  or  three  narrower  black  lines,  consisting  of 
confluent  spots.  Over  the  rest  of  the  body  these  spots 
are  thickly  but  rather  irregularly  scattered,  so  as  to 
constitute  a  series  of  flexuous  dotted  lines.  The  side 
of  the  neck  above  is  occupied  by  a  deep  longitudi- 
nal black  line,  and  below,  there  is  a  second,  which  is 
more  obliquely  placed.  The  head  is  grayish,  and  has 
no  spots  ;  and  the  legs  are  externally  black. 

The  specimens  which  are  in  the  Tower  deposit  large 
quantities  of  civet.  They  are  fed  on  a  mixture  of  ani« 
mal  and  vegetable  food,  and  are  extremely  spiteful  and 
savage. 

THE  GENET 

Is  an  animal  smaller  than  the  civet.  It  has  a  long 
body,  short  legs,  a  sharp  snout,  and  a  slender  head. 
Its  fur,  which  is  exceedingly  smooth  and  soft,  is  of  an 
ash  colour,  glossy,  and  marked  with  black  stripes, 
which  are  separate  upon  the  sides,  but  which  unite 
upon  the  back.  It  has  also  upon  the  neck  a  kind  of 
mane,  or  longish  hair,  which  forms  a  black  streak  from 
the  head  to  the  tail,  which  last  is  as  long  as  the  body, 
and  is  marked  with  seven  or  eight  rings,  from  the 
insertion  to  the  tip,  which  are  alternately  black  and 
white. 

The  Genet  has  under  the  tail,  and  in  the  very  same 
place  with  the  civets,  an  opening,  or  pouch,  in  which 
is  separated  a  kind  of  perfume  resembling  civet,  but 
less  strong,  and  apt  sooner  to  evaporate  It  is  an  ani- 


THE    VARADOXUKU?  0? 

final  somewhat  larger  than  the  martin  which  it  strongly 
resembles,  not  only  in  the  form  of  the  body,  but  also 
in  disposition  and  habit,  and  from  which  it  seems 
chiefly  to  differ  in  being  more  easily  tamed.  It  is  a 
native  of  Spain,  Africa,  and  the  south  of  Asia. 


THE    PARADOXURUS 

APPROACHES  closely  to  the  genets  and  civets  in  its 
general  form  and  habits  ;  so  closely,  indeed,  that  Buf- 
fon  has  classed  it  with  the  former,  under  the  name  of 
Genette  of  France.  In  its  teeth,  toes,  and  nails,  and 
ihe  retractile  power  of  the  latter,  it  is  nearly  similar 
to  them ;  but  it  is  a  plantigrade  animal,  has  no  secre- 
tory pouch,  and  the  tail,  which  is  as  long  as  the  body, 
and  is  flattened  above  and  below,  has  one  great  singu- 
larity;  namely,  that  the  animal  is  able  to  roll  it  up 
into  a  spire,  commencing  from  above  downwards,  even 
to  the  very  base. 

The  Paradoxurus  Typus  is  a  native  of  the  East 
Indies  and  the  Oriental  Archipelago.  Marsden  calls 
it  the  Musang,  and  the  Javanese  give  it  the  name  of 
Luwach.  Its  length,  including  the  tail,  is  about  three 
feet.  Grayish  black,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  is  its 
general  colour.  It  has  a  broad  dorsal  black  line,  and 
two  or  three  narrower  indistinct  black  lines  on  the 
sides.  The  under  jaws,  the  legs,  and  the  major  part 
of  the  tail  are  also  black.  Under  and  above  each  eye 
is  a  white  spot. 

Little  is  known  of  its  habits  in  a  state  of  liberty. 
As  a  captive  it  is  sullen,  irascible,  and  unsusceptible 
of  affection. 

THE  PREHENSILE  PARADOXURUS. 

THIS  animal,  a  native  of  Bengal,  has  its  fur  of  a 
greenish  yellow.  The  dorsal  line,  the  end  of  the  tail, 
and  the  paws  are  black.  Near  the  back  there  are  two 
lines  of  lengthened  black  spots,  and  on  each  side  many 
small  orbicular  spots. 

THE  ONDATRA. 

THE  ONDATRA,  and  the  DESMAN,  are  two  animals 
which  must  not  be  confounded,  though  they  have  both 


66  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

been  denominated  Musk  Rats,  and  though  they  have 
a  few  common  characteristics. 

The  ONDATRA,  or  MUSK  RAT  of  Canada,  differs  from 
the  desman,  in  having  its  toes  all  separated  from  each 
other,  in  having  eyes  very  conspicuous,  and  a  snout 
very  short;  whereas  of  the  DESMAN,  or  MUSK  RAT  of 
Muscovy,  the  toes  of  the  hind  feet  are  united  by  a 
membrane.  The  tail  of  both  is  flat ;  and  not  only  in 
this  circumstance,  but  in  a  number  of  essential  charac- 
teristics, they  differ  from  the  pilori,  or  musk  rat  of  the 
Antilles. 

The  Ondatra  is  of  the  size  of  a  small  rabbit,  and  of 
the  form  of  a  rat.  Its  head  is  short,  and  similar  to  that 
of  the  water  rat ;  its  hair  is  soft  and  glossy,  with  a 
very  thick  down  underneath,  nearly  like  that  of  the 
beaver  ;  its  tail  is  long,  and  though  of  a  different  form, 
being  flattened  laterally,  it  is  covered  nevertheless  with 
little  scales,  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  other  rats. 

Its  ears  are  very  short,  but  not  uncovered,  like  those 
of  the  domestic  rat ;  being  furnished  with  hair,  both 
outwardly  and  inwardly. 

The  striking  singularities  which  have  been  remarked 
in  the  Ondatra,  are,  first,  the  force  and  great  expansion 
of  the  muscles  of  the  skin,  which  enables  the  animal, 
by  contracting  its  skin,  to  compress  its  body,  and 
reduce  it  to  a  smaller  size  ;  secondly,  the  suppleness 
of  the  false  ribs,  which  permits  a  contraction  of  the 
body  so  considerable,  that  the  musk  rat  is  known  to 
obtain  an  easy  entrance  into  holes  too  narrow  for  the 
admission  of  animals  much  smaller  than  itself;  thirdly, 
the  manner  in  which  the  female  voids  her  urine,  the 
urethra  not  terminating  as  in  other  quadrupeds,  but  at 
a  hairy  eminence  situated  over  the  os  pubis  ;  fourthly, 
the  testes,  which,  as  in  other  rats,  are  situated  on  each 
side  of  the  anus,  become  prodigiously  large  while  the 
ardour  lasts  for  continuing  the  species  ;  and  lastly,  we 
learn,  that  the  vessels  which  contain  the  musk  or  per- 
fume of  this  animal,  under  the  form  of  a  milky  humour, 
and  which  adjoin  to  the  parts  of  generation,  undergo 
the  same  changes  ;  that,  during  the  rutting  season,  they 
enlarge  and  swell  to  a  very  great  degree  ;  that  then 
the  perfume  is  exceedingly  strong,  and  sensibly  to  be 
distinguished  at  a  considerable  distance  ;  but  that,  at 
the  expiration  of  this  period,  they  become  wrinkled, 


THE  ONDATRA  09 

they  decay,  and  are  at  length  totally  effaced.  The 
change  in  the  bags  which  contain  the  perfume  is  effected 
more  quickly,  as  well  as  more  completely,  than  that 
of  the  parts  of  generation.  They  are  common  to  both 
sexes,  and  contain  a  very  copious  milky  substance, 
while  the  animals  are  actually  in  heat. 

As  the  Ondatra  belongs  to  the  same  country  as  the 
beaver ;  as,  like  that  animal,  it  is  fond  of  water ;  and 
as,  though  smaller,  it  has  yet  nearly  the  same  figure, 
the  same  colour,  the  same  kind  of  hair,  they  have  been 
often  compared  with  each  other. 

In  disposition  and  instinct,  also,  these  animals  bear 
a  considerable  resemblance  to  each  other.  Like  the 
beavers,  the  Ondatras  live  in  society  during  the  win- 
er.  They  form  little  dwellings,  about  two  feet  and  a 
lalf,  and  sometimes  more,  in  diameter ;  and  in  these 
here  is  often  found  an  association  of  several  families. 
To  such  habitations  they  do  not  resort  in  order  to  sleep 
for  five  or  six  months,  like  the  marmots  ;  their  only 
object  is,  to  obtain  from  them  a  shelter  from  the  incle- 
mency of  the  weather.  They  are  of  a  round  form,  and 
are  covered  with  a  kind  of  dome  about  a  foot  thick 
The  materials  of  which  they  are  composed  are  rushes 
and  certain  herbs  interwoven  together,  and  consoli- 
dated with  some  clay,  which  they  previously  prepare 
for  that  purpose  with  their  feet. 

These  animals  breed  once  a  year,  and  generally 
produce  five  or  six  at  a  time.  So  strong  are  their  fore 
teeth,  and  so  excellently  calculated  for  gnawing,  that 
when  one  of  them  is  shut  up  in  a  box,  it  presently 
makes  a  hole  to  escape  through,  let  the  wood  be  ever 
so  hard. 

These  animals  are  little  inclined  to  ferocity,  and, 
when  taken  young,  are  easily  tamed.  In  the  very  early 
period  of  life  they  are  also,  which  might  not  be 
expected,  exceedingly  handsome  ;  for  then  the  long 
and  almost  uncovered  tail,  which  renders  their  figure 
very  disagreeable  afterwards,  is  very  short.  They  play 
with  all  the  innocence  and  sprightliness  of  young  cats  ; 
they  never  bite,  and  with  ease  might  be  reared,  were 
it  not  for  the  circumstance  of  their  noxious  smell 


70  KATUR  41    HISTORT. 


THE  DESMAN. 

THIS  animal,  a  native  of  Lapland  and  Russia,  is 
about  the  size  of  a  common  rat :  it  has  a  long  and  slen« 
der  nose  ;  no  external  ears  ;  and  very  small  eyes  :  the 
tail  is  compressed  sideways,  and  its  hind  feet  are 
webbed:  it  is  of  a  dusky  colour;  the  belly  is  a  light 
ash.  It  frequents  the  banks  of  rivers,  where  it  feeds 
on  small  fishes  ;  and,  in  its  turn,  is  often  devoured  by 
pikes  and  other  fish,  to  which  it  communicates  so  pow- 
erful a  musky  flavour  as  renders  them  exceedingly 
unpleasant  to  the  taste.  A  kind  of  musk,  much  resem- 
bling the  genuine  sort,  is  extracted  from  its  tail.  The 
skin  of  the  Desman  is  frequently  laid  among  clothes 
to  preserve  them  from  moths. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Of  the  Peccary,  or  Mexican  Hog — Of  the  Ternate  Bat 
— The  Spectre — The  Flying  Squirrel — The  Hooded 
Squirrel — The  Squirrel  Petaurus — The  Gray  Squir- 
rel— The  Ground  Squirrel — The  Palm  Squirrel,  and 
those  of  Barbary,  $c. —  The  Ant-eaters — The  Short 
and  Long-tailed  Manis — The  Armadillo — The  Spot- 
ted Cavy — The  Opossum — The  Marmose—The  Cayo- 
polin — The  Flying  Opossum. 

THE  PECCARY,  OR  MEXICAN   HOG. 

AMONG  the  animals  of  the  New  World,  we  meet  with 
few  species  more  numerous  or  more  remarkable  than 
that  of  the  Peccary,  or  Mexican  Hog.  At  the  first 
glance,  this  animal  resembles  our  wild  boar,  or  rather 
the  hog  of  Siam,  which,  like  our  domestic  hog,  as  we 
have  already  observed,  is  nothing  more  than  a  variety 
of  the  wild  boar,  or  wild  hog  ;  and  for  this  reason  it 
has  been  called  the  boar  or  hog  of  America.  The 
Peccary,  however,  is  of  a  distinct  species,  and  differs 
from  the  hog  in  a  number  of  characteristics,  both 


THE   PECCARY.  71 

external  and  internal.  Its  head  is  shorter  and  broader; 
it  has  only  four  incisor  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw,  instead 
of  six  ;  it  has  only  three  instead  of  six  toes  on  the  hind 
feet;  its  legs  are  slenderer;  in  the  stomach  and  intes- 
tines there  is  a  difference  of  conformation ;  the  tail  is 
extremely  short,  remarkably  flat,  and  completely  pen- 
dulous ;  and  its  bristles  are  much  stronger  than  those 
of  the  wild  boar :  and,  lastly,  it  has,  upon  that  part  of 
the  back  which  borders  upon  the  buttocks,  an  opening 
from  which  there  is  discharged  an  ichorous  humour 
of  a  very  disagreeable  smell.  The  Peccary  is  the  only 
animal  which  has  an  opening  in  this  region  of  the 
body.  In  the  civets,  the  badger,  and  the  genet,  the 
reservoir  for  the  perfume  is  situated  beneath  the  parts 
of  generation  ;  and  in  the  musk  animals  we  find  it  under 
the  belly. 

The  Peccary  may  be  rendered  a  domestic  animal, 
like  the  hog,  and  has  pretty  nearly  the  same  habits 
and  natural  inclinations.  It  feeds  upon  the  same  ali- 
ments ;  and  its  flesh,  though  more  dry  and  lean  than 
that  of  a  hog,  is  not  unpalatable.  The  female,  how- 
ever, breeds  only  once  a  year,  and  has  but  two  young 
ones  at  a  birth. 

These  animals  are  extremely  numerous  in  all  the 
parts  of  South  America.  There  are  two  species  :  the 
Collared  Peccary,  and  the  White-lipped  Peccary.  The 
former  is  not  a  migratory  animal,  but  usually  lives  in 
the  forest  where  it  was  produced,  and  is  generally  met 
with  in  pairs  or  in  small  families.  It  is  the  smallest  of 
the  two  species,  seldom  measuring  three  feet  in  length, 
or  weighing  more  than  fifty  pounds.  Its  general  colour 
is  a  yellowish  gray,  with  the  exception  of  the  legs, 
which  are  nearly  black ;  and  it  has  a  somewhat  erec- 
tile mane  on  the  back  of  the  neck,  composed  of  a  ro\r 
of  long  black  bristles. 

The  White-lipped  Peccary  is  much  larger  than  the 
other  species,  as  it  not  unfrequently  reaches  a  length 
of  three  feet  and  a  half,  and  a  weight  of  a  hundred 
pounds.  It  is  thicker  and  stouter  in  its  proportions, 
has  a  longer  and  thicker  mane,  and  has  'ess  of  the 
grayish  tinge.  "Unlike 'the  former  species,  the  White- 
lipped  Peccaries,"  says  the  author  of  The  Gardens  and 
Menagerie  of  the  Zoological  Society,  "  congregate  in 
numerous  bands,  sometimes  amounting,  it  is  said,  to 


72  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

more  than  a  thousand  individuals  of  all  ages.  Thus 
united,  they  frequently  traverse  extensive  districts,  the 

H'hole  troop  occupying  an  extent  of  a  league  in  length, 
and  directed  in  their  march,  if  the  accounts  of  the 
natives  are  to  be  credited,  by  a  leader,  who  takes  his 
station  at  the  head  of  the  foremost  rank.  Should  they 
be  impeded  in  their  progress  by  a  river,  the  chief  stops 
for  a  moment,  and  then  plu  iges  boldly  into  the  stream, 
and  is  followed  by  all  the  rest  of  the  troop.  The 
breadth  of  the  river  or  the  rapidity  of  the  current 
appear  to  be  but  trifling  obstacles  in  their  way,  and  to 
be  overcome  with  the  greatest  facility.  On  reaching 
the  opposite  bank  they  proceed  directly  on  their  course, 
and  continue  their  march  even  through  the  plantations 
which,  unfortunately  for  the  owners,  may  happen  to  lie 
in  their  way ;  and  which  they  sometimes  completely 
devastate  by  rooting  in  the  ground  for  their  favourite 
food,  or  devouring  such  fruits  as  they  find  there.  It 
they  meet  with  any  thing  unusual  on  their  way,  they 
make  a  terrific  clattering  with  their  teeth,  and  stop  and 
examine  the  object  of  their  alarm.  When  they  have 
ascertained  that  there  is  no  danger,  they  continue  their 

oute  without  further  delay;  but  if  a  huntsman  should 
venture  to  attack  them  when  they  are  thus  assembled 
in  large  numbers,  he  is  sure  to  be  surrounded  by  mul- 
titudes and  torn  to  pieces  by  their  tusks,  if  he  is  so 
unwise  as  to  neglect  his  only  chance  of  escape,  which 
consists  in  climbing  a  tree,  and  thus  getling  fairly  out 
of  their  reach.  The  smaller  bands  are  by  no  means 
equally  courageous,  and  always  take  to  flight  at  the  first 
attack. 

"  M.  Sonnini  relates  that  he  was  often,  in  the  course 
of  his  travels  in  Guiana,  surrounded  by  a  troop  of  Pec- 
caries infuriated  with  the  havoc  made  by  the  muskets 
of  himself  and  his  companions.  Mounted  upon  a  tree, 
he  was  enabled  to  observe  their  motions,  and  to  notice 
the  manner  in  which  they  encouraged,  by  their  grunts 
and  by  the  rubbing  of  their  snouts  together,  those 
among  them  who  were  injured  by  the  shots  which 
were  poured  on  them  from  above.  With  erected  bris- 
tles, and  eyes  sparkling  with  rage,  they  still  maintained 
their  ground  ;  and  it  was  sometimes  only  after  two  or 
three  hours'  incessant  firing  that  they  were  at  last  com- 
pelled to  quit  the  field  of  battle,  and  to  leave  the  bodies 


THE  PECCARY.  73 

of  the  dead  to  the  mercy  of  the  conquerors.  These 
days  of  victory  over  the  Peccaries,  he  adds,  are  always 
days  of  abundance  for  the  traveller  in  those  immense 
forests,  who  has  no  other  resource  except  the  chase. 
An  enormous  gridiron  is  immediately  constructed  with 
sticks  fixed  in  the  earth,  and  three  feet  in  height,  over 
which  a  quantity  of  small  branches  are  placed  in  a 
transverse  direction.  On  these  the  Peccaries  are  depo- 
sited, after  being  cut  in  pieces,  and  are  cooked  by  a 
slow  fire,  which  is  kept  up  during  the  whole  night." 

In  its  native  country,  the  Peccary  is  rather  fond  of  the 
mountainous  parts,  than  of  the  low  and  level  grounds  ; 
it  seems  to  delight  neither  in  the  marshes  nor  the  mud, 
like  our  hogs  ;  it  keeps  among  the  woods,  where  it 
subsists  upon  wild  fruits,  roots,  and  vegetables ;  it  is 
also  an  unceasing  enemy  to  the  lizard,  the  toad,  and  all 
the  serpent  kinds  with  which  the  uncultivated  forests 
of  the  New  Continent  abound.  As  soon  as  it  perceives 
a  serpent  or  a  viper,  it  at  once  seizes  it  with  its  fore 
hoofs  and  teeth,  skins  it  in  an  instant,  and  devours  the 
flesh.  They  commit  great  havoc  among  the  sugar- 
canes,  maize,  manihot,  and  potato  crops. 

The  young  ones  follow  the  dam,  and  do  not  separate 
from  her  till  they  have  come  to  perfection.  If  taken 
at  first,  they  are  very  easily  tamed,  and  soon  lose  all 
their  natural  ferocity ;  they,  however,  never  display 
any  remarkable  signs  of  docility.  They  only  continue 
to  do  no  mischief;  and  they  may  be  permitted  to  run 
tame,  without  apprehending  any  dangerous  conse- 
quences. They  seldom  stray  far  from  home  ;  they 
return  of  themselves  to  the  sty,  and  do  not  quarrel 
among  each  other,  except  when  they  happen  to  be  fed 
in  common.  When  enraged,  they  draw  their  breath 
with  great  force,  and  their  bristles  point  upward ;  nor, 
on  such  occasions,  can  these  be  said  so  much  to  resem- 
ble the  bristles  of  the  wild  boar  as  the  sharp  armoufr 
of  the  hedgehog. 


VOL.  II— 7. 


74  NATURAL  HISTORY, 


THE  ROUSSETTE,  GREAT  TERNATE  BAT,  OR 

VAMPYRE  BAT  ;* 

THE  ROTJGETTE,  OR  LESSER  TERNATE   BAT?    AND  THE 
SPECTRE  BAT. 

THE  Roussette  and  the  Rougette  seem  to  form  two 
distinct  species,  which,  however,  are  so  full  of  resem- 
blances to  each  other,  that  they  ought  not  to  be  pre- 
sented asunder.  The  latter  differs  from  the  former 
solely  in  the  size  of  the  body  and  the  colours  of  the 
hair.  The  Roussette,  whose  hair  :s  of  a  reddish  brown, 
is  in  length  nine  inches  from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the 
insertion  of  the  tail  ;  and  in  breadth  three  or  even  four 
feet,  when  the  membranes,  which  serve  it  for  wings,  are 
fully  extended.  The  Rougette,  whose  hair  is  of  a 
reddish  ash-colour,  is  hardly  more  than  five  inches 
and  a  half  in  length,  and  two  feet  in  breadth  ;  and  its 
neck  is  half  encircled  with  a  stripe  of  hair  of  a  lively 
red,  intermixed  with  orange-colour,  of  which  we  per- 
ceive no  vestige  on  the  neck  of  the  Roussette.  They 
both  belong  nearly  to  the  same  hot  climates  of  the  Old 
Continent.  We  meet  with  them  in  Madagascar,  in  the 
island  of  Bourbon,  in  Ternate,  in  the  Philippine  and 
other  islands  of  the  Indian  Archipelago,  where,  indeed, 
they  seem  to  be  more  common  than  in  the  neighbour- 
ing continents. 

The  smell  of  these  creatures  is  ranker  than  that  of  a 
fox,  yet  the  Indians  consider  them  as  delicious  food, 
and  the  French  who  reside  in  the  Isle  of  Bourbon  even 
boil  them  in  their  soup  to  give  it  a  relish  !  The  hair  of 
the  Vampyre  Bat,  interwoven  with  threads  of  cyperus 
squamosus,  is  used  by  the  natives  of  New  Caledonia 
for  making  ropes  and  the  tassels  of  their  clubs. 

In  the  hotter  countries  of  the  New  World,  and  in 
some  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  likewise 
meet  with  another  flying  quadruped,  of  which  we  know 
not  the  American  name,  but  to  which  I  will  affix  the 
denomination  of  Spectre,  because  it  sucks  the  blood  of 
men,  and  of  animals,  while  they  are  asleep,  withoul 
causing  even  sufficient  pain  to  awake  them  This 


The  name  of  Vampyre  Bat  was  ateojpTen  to  the  Spectre  Bat  by  Buffon,  but 

appropriated  to  the  Roussette. 
.1.  trieir  habi 


, 
now  appropriated  to  the  Roussette.    The  two  species  do  not  differ  materially 


THE  ROUSSETTE — THE   ROUGETTE,   ETC.  75 

American  animal  is  of  a  species  different  from  those 
of  the  Roussette  and  the  Rougette,  which  are  both  to 
be  found  solely  in  Africa,  and  in  the  southern  parts  of 
Asia. 

The  Spectre  is  smaller  than  the  Rougette,  which  is 
itself  smaller  than  the  Roussette.  The  former,  when 
it  flies,  seems  to  be  of  the  size  of  the  pigeon ;  the 
second,  of  the  size  of  a  raven  ;  and  the  third,  of  the  size 
of  a  large  hen.  Of  both  the  Roussette  and  the  Rou- 
gette the  head  is  tolerably  well  shaped  ;  the  ears  are 
short,  and  the  nose  is  very  round,  and  nearly  in  form 
like  that  of  a  dog.  Of  the  Spectre,  on  the  contrary, 
the  nose  is  more  elongated  ;  the  aspect  is  as  hideous  as 
that  of  the  ugliest  Bats  ;  the  head  is  unshapely,  and 
the  ears  large,  very  open,  and  very  straight ;  its  nose 
is  disfigxired  ;  its  nostrils  resemble  a  funnel,  and  have 
a  membrane  at  the  top,  which  rises  up  in  the  form  of 
a  sharp  horn,  or  cock's  comb,  and  greatly  heightens 
the  deformity  of  its  face. 

There  is  no  doubt,  therefore,  but  that  the  species  of 
the  Spectre  is  different  from  those  of  the  Roussette 
and  the  Rougette.  It  is  an  animal  not  less  mischievous 
than  it  is  deformed  ;  it  is  the  pest  of  man,  the  torment 
and  destruction  of  animals.  In  confirmation  of  this 
truth,  a  more  authentic  testimony  cannot  be  produced 
than  that  of  M.  de  la  Condamine.  "  The  Bats,"  says 
he,  "  which  suck  the  blood  of  horses,  of  mules,  and 
even  of  men,  when  they  do  not  guard  against  it  by 
sleeping  under  the  shelter  of  a  pavilion,  are  a  scourge 
common  to  most  of  the  hot  countries  of  America.  Of 
these  there  are  some  of  a  monstrous  size.  At  Borja, 
and  several  other  places,  they  have  entirely  destroyed 
the  large  cattle  which  the  missionaries  had  brought 
thither,  and  which  had  begun  to  multiply." 

The  Roussette  and  Rougette  are  larger,  stronger, 
and  perhaps  yet  more  mischievous  than  the  Spectre ; 
but  it  is  by  open  force,  and  in  the  day  as  well  as  in  the 
night,  that  they  commit  hostilities.  Fowls  and  small 
animals  are  the  objects  of  their  destructive  fury  ;  they 
even  attack  men,  and  bite  their  faces  most  cruelly. 

All  these  Bats  are  animals  carnivorous,  voracious, 
and  possessed  of  an  appetite  for  every  thing  that 
offers.  In  a  dearth  of  flesh  or  fish,  they  feed  on  vege- 
tables and  fruits  of  every  kind.  As  thev  are  fond  of 


76  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

the  juice  of  the  palm  tree,  so  it  is  easy  to  take  them 
by  placing  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their  retreat  a  few 
vessels  filled  with  palm-tree  water,  or  any  other  fer- 
mented liquor,  with  which  they  intoxicate  themselves. 
They  fasten  to,  and  suspend  themselves  from,  trees 
with  their  claws.  They  are  usually  seen  in  troops, 
and  more  so  by  night  than  by  day ;  places  which  are 
much  frequented  they  shun ;  and  their  favourite  resi- 
dence is  in  the  deserted  parts  of  islands. 

I  have  frequently  thought  it  worth  while  to  examine 
how  it  is  possible  that  these  animals  should  suck  the 
blood  of  a  person  asleep,  without  causing,  at  the  same 
time,  a  pain  so  sensible  as  to  awake  him.  Were  they 
to  cut  the  flesh  with  their  teeth  or  with  their  claws,  the 
pain  of  the  bite  would  effectually  rouse  any  of  the 
human  species,  however  soundly  asleep.  With  their 
tongue  only,  then,  it  is  possible  for  them  to  make 
such  minute  apertures  in  the  skin,  as  to  imbibe  the 
blood  through  them,  and  to  open  the  veins  without 
causing  an  acute  pain. 

The  tongue  of  the  Spectre  I  have  not  had  an' oppor- 
tunity to  observe;  but  that  of  several  Roussettes,  which 
Mr.  Daubenton  has  attentively  examined,  seems  to 
indicate  the  possibility  of  the  fact.  It  is  sharp,  and 
full  of  prickles  directed  backward;  and  it  appears  that 
these  prickles,  or  points,  from  their  exceeding  minute- 
ness, may  be  insinuated  into  the  pores  of  the  skin,  may 
enlarge  them,  and  may  penetrate  them  so  deep,  as  to 
command  a  flow  of  the  blood  by  the  continued  suction 
of  the  tongue.  But  we  can  only  conjecture  upon  a  fact 
of  which  all  the  circumstances  are  imperfectly  known 
to  us,  and  of  which  some  are  perhaps  exaggerated,  or 
erroneously  related,  by  the  writers  who  have  transmit- 
ted them  to  us. 

Captain  Stedman,  while  sleeping  in  the  open  air  in 
Surinam,  was  attacked  by  one  of  the  Spectre  Bats. 
On  awaking,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  was 
extremely  alarmed  to  find  himself  weltering  in  con- 
gealed blood,  and  without  feeling  any  pain.  Having 
started  up,  he  ran  to  the  surgeon,  with  a  firebrand  in 
his  hand,  and  all  over  besmeared  with  gore.  The 
cause  of  his  alarm  was,  however,  soon  explained. 
After  he  had  applied  some  tobacco  ashes  to  the  wound, 
and  had  washed  the  gore  from  himself  and  his  ham- 


77 

mock,  he  examined  the  place  where  he  had  lain,  and 
observed  several  small  heaps  of  congealed  blood  upon 
the  ground  ;  on  examining  which,  the  surgeon  judged 
that  he  had  lost  at  least  twelve  or  fourteen  ounces. 
Captain  Stedman  says,  that  these  animals,  knowing  by 
instinct  that  the  person  they  intend  tc-  Attack  is  in  a 
sound  slumber,  they  generally  alight  near  the  feet, 
where,  while  the  creature  continues  fanning  with  his 
enormous  wings,  which  keeps  the  person  cool,  he  bites 
a  piece  out  of  the  tip  of  the  great  toe,  so  very  small 
that  the  head  of  a  pin  could  scarcely  be  received  into 
the  wound,  which  is  consequently  not  painful.  Yet, 
through  this  orifice,  he  sucks  the  blood  until  he  is 
obliged  to  disgorge.  He  then  begins  again,  and  thus 
continues  sucking  and  disgorging  till  he  is  scarcely 
able  to  fly ;  and  the  sufferer  has  often  been  known  to 
sleep  from  time  into  eternity.  The  Spectre  Bats  gene- 
rally bite  in  the  ear,  but  always  in  places  where  the 
blood  will  flow  spontaneously. 

THE   FLYING  SQUIRREL 

Is  more  common  in  America  than  in  Europe,  where 
he  is  seldom  seen,  except  in  Russia,  Norway,  and  Lap- 
land. The  American  species  uses  the  same  food,  and 
forms  the  same  hoards,  as  the  common  Squirrel ;  but 
the  Norwegian  feeds  principally  on  the  tender  branches 
of  the  beech  and  pine  trees.  The  latter  species  differs 
from  the  former  principally  in  having  its  tail  full  of 
hair,  rounded  at  the  end,  and  its  body  being  a  fine  gray 
on  the  upper  part,  and  white  on  the  lower ;  while  the 
American  has  a  tail  tapering  to  a  point,  and  is  of  a 
cinereous  brown  on  the  back,  and  white  tinged  with 
yellow  on  the  belly.  This  little  animal  dwells  upon 
trees,  like  the  Squirrel ;  he  goes  from  branch  to 
branch ;  and  when  he  leaps  upon  another  tree,  his 
skin,  which  hangs  loose  on  both  sides  of  his  body,  is 
stretched  forward  by  his  fore  legs,  and  backward  by 
the  hind  legs,  and  increases  the  surface  of  his  body 
without  adding  to  its  weight,  and  consequently  retards 
his  fall  ;  so  that  this  animal  reaches,  in  one  leap,  a 
great  distance.  This  motion  is  not  like  the  flight  of 
a  bird,  neither  like  the  fluttering  of  a  bat;  both  which 
motions  are  performed  by  striking  the  air  with  repeated 
vibrations.  It  is  one  single  leap,  caused  by  the  first 
7* 


79  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

impulse,  the  motion  of  which  is  jnly  prolonged,  and 
lasts  longer,  as  the  body  of  the  animal,  presenting  to 
the  air  greater  surface,  finds  a  greater  resistance,  and 
falls  more  slowly. 

The  Flying  Squirrel  is  easily  tamed ;  but  it  often 
flies ;  and  he  must  be  kept  in  a  cage,  or  secured  with 
a  small  chain.  He  feeds  upon  bread,  fruit,  seeds  ;  he  is 
remarkably  fond  of  the  buds  and  shoots  of  the  birch 
and  pine  trees.  He  does  not  seek  after  nuts  and  al- 
monds like  the  Squirrel.  He  makes  a  bed  of  leaves,  in 
which  he  buries  himself,  and  upon  which  he  lies  in  the 
daytime,  and  leaves  it  in  the  night,  or  when  pressed  by- 
hunger.  As  he  has  little  agility,  he  becomes  easily  the 
prey  of  martins,  and  other  animals  which  climb  up  the 
trees ;  so  that  the  species  is  not  greatly  multiplied, 
although  they  have  commonly  three  or  four  young  at 
a  time. 

In  Virginia  there  is  another  of  this  species,  called 
the  HOODED  SQUIRREL  ;  the  lateral  membrane  begins 
at  the  chin  and  ears,  where  it  forms  a  kind  of  hood,  and 
extends,  like  that  of  the  former,  from  the  fore  to  the 
hind  legs  :  its  body  is  of  a  reddish  colour  above,  and 
of  a  yellowish  ash  beneath.  It  is  a  species,  as  yet,  but 
little  known. 

THE    SQUIRREL    PETAURUS. 

THIS  animal  which  is  of  the  Petaurus  genus,  is  an 
inhabitant  of  New  South  Wales,  and  is  said  to  be  abun- 
dant at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Mountains.  It  was  first 
known  in  England  under  the  name  of  the  Norfolk 
Island  Flying  Squirrel.  It  is  nearly  of  the  size  of  the 
common  Squirrel,  with  a  tail  somewhat  longer  than  its 
body.  Above,  its  colour  is  of  a  delicate  gray,  rather 
darker  on  the  head  ;  and  beneath,  it  is  white.  Along 
the  back,  from  the  point  of  the  nose  towards  the  tail, 
there  is  a  black  line,  and  a  similar  line  bounds  the  late- 
ral folds  of  the  skin,  in  front  and  on  the  sides.  Its  fur 
is  of  the  softest  and  most  beautiful  nature.  Like  most 
of  the  New  Holland  animals,  it  has  an  abdominal  pouch. 
During  the  day  it  nestles  in  hollow  trees,  but  as  the 
night  advances  it  grows  lively,  and  by  means  of  its 
lateral  expansions  springs  from  bough  to  bough,  half 
leaping  and  half  flying.  Leaves  and  insects  are  its  food. 
There  seems  reason  to  believe  that,  in  its  flight-like 


THE    3QVIRREL.  79 

leaps  as  they  have  been  aptly  called,  the  animal  has 
the  power  of  changing  its  course.  One  of  them,  on 
board  ship,  sprung  from  the  mast-head  at  the  moment 
when  the  vessel  gave  a  heavy  lurch  to  the  side  oppo- 
site to  that  in  which  the  Petaurus  had  directed  its  leap  ; 
yet  the  animal  reached  the  deck  in  safety ;  which  it 
would  not  have  accomplished  had  it  not  been  able  to 
alter  its  original  direction. 

THE    GRAY    SQUIRREL 

Is  found  in  the  northern  part  of  both  continents.  He 
is  in  shape  like  a  common  squirrel ;  the  outward  dif- 
ference consists  in  his  size  ;  he  is  larger  than  Squirrels 
generally  are ;  the  colour  of  his  hair  is  not  red,  but 
light,  or  deep  gray  ;  and  his  ears  are  not  so  hairy  tow- 
ards the  extremity,  as  those  of  our  Squirrels.  Many 
authors  think  the  species  is  different  in  Europe  and 
America  ;  that  the  Gray  Squirrels  of  Europe  are  of  the 
common  kind,  and  that  they  change  their  colour,  ac- 
cording to  the  season,  in  the  northern  climates.  With- 
out denying  absolutely  this  assertion,  which  does  not 
seem  sufficiently  proved,  we  look  upon  the  Gray  Squir- 
rel of  Europe  and  America  as  the  same  animal,  and  as 
a  distinct  species,  separated  from  that  of  common  Squir- 
rels, who  are  found  in  the  northern  parts  of  both  con- 
tinents, being  of  the  same  size  and  of  the  same  colour; 
that  is  of  a  red,  more  or  less  bright,  according  to  the 
temperature  of  the  country. 

The  Gray  Squirrel  migrates  to  immense  distances. 
It  crosses  rivers  on  a  piece  of  pine  bark,  and  uses  us 
tail  as  a  sail ;  but  the  little  navigators  are  often  wreck- 
ed on  these  voyages.  Its  colour  is  a  pale  gray,  except 
under  the  body,  and  the  inside  of  the  limbs,  which 
are  white.  In  Sweden  and  other  cold  countries,  it 
:,nanges  its  colour  in  the  winter.  It  makes  its  nest  in 
lollow  trees  with  moss,  straw,  wool,  «fcc.  For  its  win- 
er  sustenance  it  lays  up  stores  of  provision  in  holes 
,nade  in  the  ground,  and  in  amassing  these  it  commits 
great  havoc  in  the  plantations,  particularly  among  those 
of  maize.  These  hoards  are  often  destroyed  by  swine. 
It  is  disliked  by  the  sportsman  as  much  as  by  the  farm- 
er, in  consequence  of  its  making  a  chattering  noise 
on  his  approach,  by  which  the  alarm  is  given  to  the 


80  NATURAL   H1STORV. 

game.     Its  fur  is  very  valuable,  and  is  imported  undei 
the  name  of  petit-gris. 

THE  GROUND  SQUIRREL. 

THE  Ground  or  Stri-ped  Squirrel  is  very  numerous  in 
the  forests  of  North  America  and  northern  Asia.  It 
burrows  in  the  ground,  and  makes  two  entrances  to  its 
habitation ;  that  if  one  should  be  stopped  up,  it  may 
have  access  by  the  other.  In  autumn,  however,  when 
the  ground  is  covered  with  leaves,  and  it  is  warmly 
pursued,  it  has  often  some  difficulty  in  discovering  the 
entrance  to  its  haunt,  and  it  then  displays  striking  signs 
of  consternation.  It  is  only  on  such  occasions  that  it  will 
take  refuge  in  trees.  Its  hole  is  forr.-ed  with  great  skill, 
having  several  branches  from  the  principal  passage,  each 
of  which  is  terminated  by  a  store-house,  in  which  its 
winter  food,  is  deposited  :  in  one  is  contained  acorns,  in 
another  nuts,  in  a  third  maize,  and  in  a  fourth  chestnuts, 
which  are  its  favourite  food,  and  of  which  it  some 
times  collects  not  less  than  two  hats  full.  In  Siberia, 
ten  or  fifteen  pounds  weight  of  the  kernels  of  the  stone 
pine  have  been  taken  out  of  one  of  these  hoards. 

During  harvest  they  fill  their  mouths  so  full  with 
corn,  that  their  cheeks  are  quite  distended  ;  and  in  this 
manner  carry  it  to  their  concealed  store.  They  give 
great  preference  to  certain  kinds  of  food  ;  and  if,  after 
filling  their  mouths  with  rye,  they  chance  to  meet  with 
wheat,  they  discharge  the  one,  that  they  may  secure 
the  other.  These  animals  seldom  stir  out  during  the 
winter,  nor  so  long  as  their  provisions  last :  when 
those  fail,  they  sometimes  work  their  way  into  places 
where  apples  are  laid  up,  or  into  barns  where  maize  is 
stored,  and  make  great  havoc. 

This  animal  is  marked  with  a  stripe  of  black,  which 
runs  along  the  ridge  of  the  back  ;  and  on  each  side  a 
yellow  stripe,  bordered  with  black  :  its  head,  body, 
and  tail,  are  of  a  reddish  brown  ;  breast  and  belly 
white  ;  its  nose  and  feet  of  a  pale  red  colour  :  its  eyes 
full  and  lively.  It  is  very  wild,  bites  severely,  and  is 
tamed  with  difficulty.  Its  skin  is  of  but  trifling  value* 
and  is  chiefly  sold  to  the  Chinese. 


TiiK   SQUIRREL  81 


THE  PALM  SQUIRREL,   AND  THOSE  OF  BARBARY  AND 
SWITZERLAND. 

THE  Palm  Squirrel,  which  is  a  native  of  the  south- 
eastern portion  of  Asia  and  its  neighbouring  islands, 
is  as  large  as  a  rat,  or  a  small  squirrel ;  he  lives  upon 
the  Palm  trees,  from  which  he  takes  his  name  :  some 
call  him  the  Palmist  Rat,  and  others  the  Palm-tree 
Squirrel ;  we  shall  call  him  Palmist.  His  head  is  very 
near  of  the  same  form  as  that  of  the  short-tailed  field 
mouse,  and  covered  with  rough  hair;  his  long  tail  does 
not  lie  on  the  ground,  like  that  of  the  rat :  he  carries 
it  erect  vertically,  without  however  laying  it  on  his 
body,  as  the  Squirrel  ;  it  is  covered  with  hair  longer 
than  that  of  his  body,  but  much  shorter  than  the  hair 
of  the  Squirrel's  tail :  his  back  is  variegated  with  white 
and  brown  stripes,  which  distinguish  the  Palmist  from 
all  other  animals,  except  the  Squirrel  of  Barbary  and 
Switzerland. 

The  name  of  this  animal  is  derived  from  their  being 
often  seen  on  palm  trees  ;  those  trees  being  always 
found  near  human  habitations  in  the  East.  He  is  a 
familiar  creature,  and  will  enter  the  houses,  and  pick 
up  the  crumbs  that  drop  from  the  table.  In  the 
orchards,  however,  he  commits  woful  havoc.  His  abode 
is  in  the  roofs  of  houses  and  the  cavities  of  old  walls. 
The  species  is  common  in  India. 

As  for  the  Squirrel  of  Barbary,  as  he  is  of  the  same 
size,  and  very  near  the  same  form  as  the  Palmist,  one 
should  be  inclined  to  think,  that  they  are  both  of  the 
same  species,  with  some  variety;  yet  there  is  still  rea- 
son to  believe  them  different  animals.  The  Squirrel 
of  Barbary  has  the  head  and  forehead  more  crooked, 
the  ears  longer,  the  tail  more  bushy  than  the  Palmist ; 
he  is  more  like  a  rat  than  a  Squirrel.  The  Squirrel  of 
Barbary  has  four  white  stripes,  and  the  Palmist  has  no 
more  than  three :  the  white  stripe  is  on  the  Palmist's 
backbone ;  on  the  contrary,  that  of  the  Squirrel  of 
Barbary  on  the  same  part  of  his  body  is  brown  and  red. 
These  animals,  indeed,  have  very  nearly  the  same 
habits,  and  are  of  the  same  nature  as  the  common 
Squirrel.  They  are  both  of  an  elegant  form ;  their 
coat  with  white  stripes  is  more  valuable  than  that  of 


82  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

the  Squirrel;  their  shape  is  shorter,  their  body  lighter, 
and  their  motions  quicker.  The  Palmist,  and  the 
Squirrel  of  Barbary,  dwell  on  trees  like  the  common 
Squirrel ;  but  the  Swiss  Squirrel  lives  upon  earth, 
and,  like  the  field  mouse,  forms  a  retreat  that  the  water 
cannot  penetrate ;  he  is  also  less  docile  and  less  gentle 
than  the  two  others :  he  bites  without  mercy  (except 
he  is  lately  tamed :)  he  is  more  like  a  rat,  or  a  field 
mouse,  than  a  Squirrel,  by  instinct  and  nature. 

THE  TAMANOIR,   THE  TAMANDUA,  AND  THE  FOUR- 
MILLIKR,   OR   ANT-EATER. 

SOUTH  America  produces  three  species  of  animals, 
with  a  long  snout,  a  small  mouth,  and  no  teeth  ;  their 
tongues,  of  a  round  form,  are  remarkably  long ;  with 
which  they  catch  the  ants,  which  are  their  principal 
food.  On  coming  to  an  ant  hill,  the  animal 'scratches 
it  up  with  his  claws,  and  then  protrudes  his  slender 
tongue,  which  has  the  appearance  of  an  exceedingly 
long  earthworm.  It  is  covered  with  a  viscous  saliva. 
To  this  the  ants  adhere,  and,  by  retracting  it,  he  swal- 
lows thousands  of  them.  He  also  tears  up  the  nests 
of  wood-lice,  and  often  climbs  the  trees  in  pursuit  of 
them,  and  of  the  wild  bees  and  their  honey.  The  first 
of  these  Ant-eaters  is  that  which  the  Brazilians  call 
Tamandua  Guacu,  or  Great  Tamandua,  to  whom  the 
French  settled  in  America  have  given  the  name  of 
Tamanoir.  The  English  call  it  the  Great  Ant-eater. 
This  animal  is  about  four  feet  in  length  from  the 
extremity  of  the  snout  to  the  origin  of  the  tail  ;  his 
head  is  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  long,  his  snout 
stretches  out  to  a  great  length  ;  his  tail,  two  feet  and 
a  half  long,  is  covered  with  rough  hair,  which  is  more 
than  a  foot  in  ength  ;  his  neck  is  short ;  his  head  nar 
row ;  his  eyes  black  and  small ;  his  ears  round  ;  his 
tongue  thin,  more  than  two  feet  long,  which  he  folds 
again  in  his  mouth,  after  he  draws  it  entirely  out.  His 
legs  are  but  one  foot  high  ;  the  fore-legs  are  a  little 
higher  and  more  slender  than  those  behind  ;  he  has 
round  feet;  the  fore  feet  are  armed  with  four  claws, 
the  two  middle  ones  are  the  longest ;  those  behind 
have  five  claws.  The  ha  r  of  his  head  and  body  is 
black  and  white ;  this  animal  turns  his  tail  up  on  his 


THE  AST-EATERS.  83 

back,  and  covers  with  ft  his  whole  body,  when  he  is 
inclined  to  sleep,  or  wants  to  shelter  himself  from  the 
rain  or  the  heat  of  the  sun.  The  long  hair  of  his  tail 
and  oi  his  body  is  not  round  in  all  its  extent ;  it  is  flat 
towards  the  end,  and  feels  like  dry  grass.  He  waves 
his  tail  frequently  and  hastily  when  he  is  irritated,  but 
it.  hangs  down  when  he  is  composed,  and  he  sweeps 
the  way  with  it  as  he  goes.  The  Tamanoir  walks 
siowly ;  a  man  can  easily  overtake  him  in  running:  his 
feet  seem  less  calculated  to  walk  than  to  climb,  and  to 
fasten  round  bodies;  and  he  holds  so  fast  a  branch  or 
stick,  that  it  is  not  possible  to  snatch  either  from  him. 

The  second  of  these  animals  is  that  which  the  Ame- 
ricans call  Tamandua.  He  is  much  smaller  than  the 
Tamanoir  ;  he  is  not  above  eighteen  inches  from  the 
extremities  of  the  snout  to  the  rump  :  his  head  is  five 
inches  long,  his  snout  crooked,  and  underneath  flat 
and  long  ;  lie  has  a  tail  ten  inches  long,  without  hair  at 
the  enJ  ;  his  ears  are  erect,  and  about  an  inch  in 
length ;  his  tongue  is  round,  eight  inches  long,  and 
placed  in  a  sort  of  gutter  or  hollow  canal  within  the 
losver  jaw;  his  legs  are  not  above  four  inches  in 
height,  his  feet  are  of  the  same  form,  and  have  the 
same  number  of  claws  as  the  Tamanoir.  He  climbs 
up  and  holds  fast  a  branch,  or  a  stick,  like  the  Tama- 
noir, and  his  march  is  equally  slow.  He  does  not  cover 
himself  with  his  tail,  which  cannot  shelter  him,  being 
almost  bare  ;  the  hair  of  the  fore  part  is  shorter  than 
that  of  the  Tamanoir ;  when  he  sleeps  he  hides  his 
head  under  his  neck  and  his  fore  legs. 

The  third  of  these  animals  is  that  which  the  natu- 
ralists of  Guiana  call  Watirivvaou ;  and  the  French 
Fourmillier,  or  Ant-eater.  He  is  still  much  smaller 
than  the  Tamandufc,  being  not  above  six  or  seven 
inches  in  length  from  the  extremity  of  the  snout  to  the 
tail ;  his  head  is  two  inches  long  ;  the  snout  is  not 
near  so  long  as  that  of  the  Tamanoir,  or  the  Taman- 
dua ;  his  tail  is  seven  inches  in  length,  is  bent  under- 
neath, and  bare  at  the  end  :  his  tongue  is  narrow,  long, 
and  flat;  his  neck  is  almost  bare;  the  head  is  large 
in  proportion  to  the  body;  his  eyes  placed  low,  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  corners  of  the  mouth ;  his  ears 
are  smali,  and  hidden  by  the  hair ;  his  legs  are  but 
three  inches  in  height;  the  fore  feet  bava  no  more 


£4  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

than  two  claws,  the  outward  is  much  lunger  than  tha 
inward  one  ;  the  hind  feet  have  four  claws ;  the  hah 
of  the  body  is  about  nine  inches  long  ;  he  feels  smooth, 
his  colour  is  shining,  diversified  with  red  and  yellow : 
his  feet  are  not  made  to  walk,  but  to  climb  up,  and  to 
take  hold  of  branches  of  trees,  on  which  he  hangs  him- 
self by  the  extremity  of  his  tail. 

These  three  animals,  so  different  in  size  and  propor- 
tions of  the  body,  have,  nevertheless,  many  things  in 
common,  as  to  conformation  and  their  natural  instinct. 
All  three  feed  upon  ants,  and  suck  honey  and  other 
liquid  and  viscous  substances ;  they  gather  quickly 
crumbs  of  bread  and  small  pieces  of  meat ;  they  are 
tamed  and  domesticated  easily  ;  they  can  subsist  a 
long  while  without  food  ;  they  do  not  swallow  all  the 
liquor  which  they  keep  in  their  mouth,  one  part  of  it 
issues  out  of  their  nostrils ;  they  commonly  sleep  in 
the  day  time,  and  change  their  station  in  the  night; 
they  go  so  slowly,  that  a  man  may  overtake  them  easily 
whilst  running  in  open  ground.  The  savages  eat  their 
flesh,  which  has,  however,  an  unsavoury  taste. 

The  Tamanoir  looks  at  a  distance  like  a  great  fox, 
and  for  that  reason  some  travellers  call  him  the  Ame- 
rican fox  :  he  is  strong  enough  to  defend  himself 
against  a  large  dog,  and  even  a  jaguar;  when  he  is 
attacked  he  fights  standing  on  his  hind  legs,  like  the 
bear,  and  makes  use  of  his  fore  claws,  which  are  mur- 
dering weapons,  for  his  protection ;  afterwards  he  lies 
on  his  back  to  use  his  hind  legs,  and  in  this  situation 
he  is  almost  invincible  ;  he  fights  with  obstinacy  till  the 
last  extremity,  and  even  after  he  has  put  his  adversary 
to  death,  he  keeps  hold  of  him  a  long  while.  He  is 
covered  with  long  bushy  hair,  and  a  very  thick  skin  ; 
besides,  his  flesh  is  remarkably  hard,  and  he  seldom 
loses  his  life  in  these  engagements. 

The  Tamanoir,  the  Tamandua,  and  the  Fourmillier, 
are  natives  of  the  hottest  climates  only  of  America  ; 
they  are  found  in  Brazil,  in  Guiana,  and  in  the  coun* 
try  of  the  Amazons,  <kc.  They  do  not  breed  in  Canada, 
nor  in  the  other  frozen  regions  of  the  New  World,  and 
do  not  belong  consequently  to  the  Ancient  Continent 


THE       PANGOLIN   ANft  PHATA.OIN.  96 


THE    PANGOLIN    AND    PHATAG1N  ;     OR,  THE    SHORT    AND 
LONO-1  AILED  MANIS. 

THESE  animals  are  commonly  known  under  the  name 
of  scaly  lizards  ;  but  we  reject  this  denomination  ;  1st, 
because  it  is  a  compound ;  2dly,  because  it  is  ambigu- 
ous, and  applied  to  both  species ;  3dly,  because  it  is 
wrongly  imagined  ;  these  animals  being  not  only  of 
another  kind,  but  even  of  another  class  than  the 
lizards,  which  are  oviparous  reptiles,  while  the  Pango- 
lin and  the  Phatagin  are  viviparous  quadrupeds. 

All  the  lizards  are  wholly  covered,  even  under  the 
belly,  with  a  sleek  speckled  skin,  resembling  scales, 
but  the  Pangolin  and  the  Phatagin  have  no  scales 
under  their  throat,  on  the  breast,  or  the  belly ;  the 
Phatagin,  like  the  other  quadrupeds,  has  hair  on  all 
these  under  parts  of  the  body ;  the  Pangolin  has 
nothing  but  a  smooth  skin  without  hair.  The  scales 
with  which  all  the  other  parts  of  the  body  of  these  two 
animals  are  clothed  and  covered,  do  not  stick  to  the 
skin ;  they  are  only  fixed  and  inherent  to  it  under- 
neath ;  they  are  moveable  like  the  prickles  of  the  por- 
cupine. These  scales  are  so  large,  so  hard,  and  so 
sharp,  that  they  frighten  and  discourage  all  animals  of 
prey ;  on  collision  they  will  strike  fire  like  flint :  it  is 
an  offensive  armour  which  wounds  while  it  resists. 

The  most  cruel  and  the  most  voracious  animals,  such 
as  the  tiger  and  the  panther,  make  but  useless  efforts 
to  devour  these  armed  animals ;  they  tread  upon  them, 
roll  them,  but  when  they  attempt  to  seize  them,  they 
are  grievously  wounded;  they  can  neither  terrify  them 
by  violence,  nor  bruise,  nor  smother  them  with  their 
weight. 

When  the  Pangolin  and  the  Phatagin  contract  them- 
selves, they  do  not  take,  as  the  hedgehog,  a  globular 
and  uniform  figure,  they  form  an  oblong  coat  of  armour : 
but  their  thick  and  long  tail  remains  outward,  and 
encircles  their  bodies  ;  this  exterior  part,  by  which  it 
seems  these  animals  might  otherwise  be  seized,  car- 
ries its  own  defence  ;  it  is  covered  with  scales  equally 
hard  and  sharp  with  those  with  which  the  body  is 
clothed,  and  as  it  is  convex  above,  and  flat  below,  in 
the  form  of  half  a  pyramid;  the  sides  are  covered  with 
VOL.  II.— 8 


SO  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

square  scales  iblded  in  a  right  angle,  as  thick  and  as 
sharp  as  the  others,  so  that  the  tail  seems  to  be  stili 
more  strongly  armed  than  the  body,  the  under  parts  of 
which  are  unprovided  with  scales. 

The  Pangolin,  or  Short-tailed  Manis,  is  larger  than 
the  Phatagin,  or  long-tailed  kind  ;  his  fore  feet  are 
covered  with  scales,  but  the  Phatagin's  feet  and  part  of 
his  fore  legs  have  none,  being  only  clothed  with  hair. 
The  Pangolin  has  also  larger  scales,  thicker,  more 
convex,  and  not  so  close  as  those  of  the  Phatagin, 
which  are  armed  with  three  sharp  points  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, the  scales  of  the  Pangolin  are  without  points, 
and  uniformly  sharp.  The  Phatagin  is  hairy  upon  the 
belly ;  and  the  Pangolin  has  no  hair  on  that  part  of  his 
body,  but  between  those  scales  which  cover  his  back 
some  thick  and  long  hair  issues  like  the  bristles  of  a 
hog,  which  are  not  found  on  the  back  of  the  Phatagin. 

The  Pangolin  is  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  length, 
including  his  tail ;  the  tail  is  very  near  as  long  as  the 
body,  though  it  appears  shorter  when  young ;  the 
scales  are  not  then  so  large  nor  so  thick,  and  of  a  pale 
colour,  which  is  deeper  when  the  animal  is  adult ;  they 
acquire  such  a  hardness,  that  they  resist  a  musket  ball. 
Like  the  ant-eaters,  the  Pangolin  and  the  Phatagin 
live  chiefly  upon  ants;  they  have  also  a  very  long 
tongue,  a  narrow  mouth,  and  without  apparent  teeth  ; 
their  body  and  their  tail  are  also  very  long,  and  the 
claws  of  their  feet  very  near  of  the  same  length  and 
the  same  form,  but  equal  in  number.  Like  the  ant- 
eater  the  Pangolin  is  also  toothless,  and  has  a  long 
cylindrical  tongue,  which  it  uses  in  the  same  manner  as 
that  animal  to  procure  the  insects  on  which  it  sub- 
sists. When  the  Pangolin  approaches  an  ant-hill,  it 
lies  down  near  it,  concealing  as  much  as  possible  the 
place  of  its  retreat,  and  stretching  out  its  long  tongue 
among  the  ants,  keeping  it  for  some  time  immovable. 
These  little  creatures,  allured  by  its  shining  appear- 
ance, and  the  unctuous  .substance  with  which  it  is 
smeared,  instantly  gather  upon  it  in  great  numbers ; 
and  when  the  Pangolin  supposes  that  it  has  a  sufficiency, 
it  quickly  withdraws  the  tongue,  and  swallows  them  at 
once.  This  operation  it  repeats  till  it  be  satisfied,  or 
till  the  ants,  grown  more  cautious,  will  be  no  longer 
fclluret:  o  their  destruction.  The  ant-eaters  are  founc 


THE   ARMAD    LLO.  87 

in  America  ;  the  Pangolin  and  the  Phatagin  in  the  East 
Indies,  and  in  Africa,  where  the  Negroes  call  them 
quogelo  :  they  eat  their  flesh,  which  they  reckon  a 
delicate,  wholesome  food  ;  they  also  use  their  scales 
for  different  purposes.  Their  mode  of  killing  it  is  by 
beating  it  with  clubs.  The  Pangolin  and  the  Phatagin 
have  nothing  forbidding  but  their  figure  ;  they  are  gen- 
tle, harmless,  and  innocent ;  they  feed  upon  insects 
only;  they  never  run  fast,  and  can  only  escape  the 
pursuit  of  men  by  hiding  themselves  in  hollow  rocks, 
or  in  holes  which  they  dig  for  themselves  ;  they  are  two 
extraordinary  species,  not  numerous,  nor  very  useful : 
their  odd  form  seems  to  place  them  as  an  intermediate 
class  betwixt  the  quadrupeds  and  the  reptiles. 

THE    ARMADILLO. 

WHEN  a  quadruped  is  mentioned,* the  very  name 
carries  the  idea  of  an  animal  covered  with  hair  ;  and 
yet  nature,  as  if  willing  to  deviate  from  this  character- 
istic uniformity,  very  frequently  astonishes  us  by  un 
common  productions.  The  quadruped  animals,  which 
we  look  upon  as  the  first  class  of  living  nature,  and 
who  are,  next  to  man,  the  most  remarkable  beings  of 
this  world,  are  not  superior  in  every  thing,  nor  sepa- 
rated by  constant  attributes.  The  first  of  these  charac- 
ters, which  constitutes  their  name,  and  which  consists 
in  having  four  feet,  is  common  to  lizards,  frogs,  &c. 
which,  however,  differ  from  the  quadrupeds  in  many 
other  respects,  so  as  to  make  a  separate  class  from 
them.  The  second  general  property,  to  produce  young 
alive,  is  not  peculiar  to  quadrupeds,  since  it  is  common 
with  whales  and  other  fishes  of  that  class.  And  the 
third  attribute,  that  of  being  covered  with  hair,  exists 
not  in  several  species,  which  cannot  be  excluded  from 
the  class  of  the  quadrupeds,  since,  this  characteristic 
excepted,  they  agree  with  them  in  all  other  respects. 

THE  SIX-BANDED  ARMADILLO. 

UNDER  the  general  name  of  Armadillo,  we  may 
reckon  several  species  which  seem  to  us  really  dis- 
tinct ;  in  all  of  them  the  animal  is  protected  by  a  crust 
resembling  bone ;  it  covers  the  head  the  neck,  the  back. 


88  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

the  flanks,  the  buttocks,  and  the  tail  to  the  very  ex- 
tremity. This  crust  is  covered  outwardly  by  a  thin 
skin,  sleek  and  transparent :  the  only  parts  that  are 
not  sheltered  by  this  buckler,  are  the  throat,  the  breast, 
and  the  belly,  which  presents  a  white  grainy  skin,  like 
that  of  a  plucked  fowl ;  and,  in  considering  these  parts 
with  attention,  you  will  perceive  the  appearance  of 
scales  which  are  of  the  same  substance  as  the  crust. 
This  crust  is,  however,  not  of  one  piece,  like  that  of 
the  turtle ;  it  consists  of  several  parts,  joined  to  each 
other  by  as  many  membranes,  which  put  this  armour 
in  motion.  The  number  of  these  natural  bands  does 
not  depend  on  the  age  of  the  animal  ;  for  the  young 
Armadillo  and  the  adults  have  in  the  same  species  the 
same  number.  Father  d'Abbeville  has  distinguished 
six  species  of  the  Armadillo,  but  the  principal  differ- 
ence between  them  consists  in  the  number  of  bands  or 
divisions  in  the^wmour  of  the  different  species.  The 
Six-banded  Armadillo  differs  from  its  fellows  in  being 
also  of  a  smaller  size,  not  larger  than  that  of  a  young 
pig,  and  in  its  tail  being  shorter. 

The  Armadilloes  in  general  are  innocent,  harmless 
animals  ;  if  they  can  penetrate  into  gardens,  they  will 
eat  melons,  potatoes,  pulse,  and  roots.  Though  used 
originally  to  the  hot  climates  of  America,  they  live  in 
temperate  regions  :  I  saw  formerly  one  in  Languedoc, 
which  was  fed  at  home,  and  went  every  where  without 
doing  any  damage  or  mischief;  they  walk  quickly,  but 
they  can  neither  leap,  run,  nor  climb  up  trees  ;  so  they 
cannot  escape  by  flight :  they  have  then  no  other  re- 
source but  to  hide  themselves  in  their  holes,  or  if  they 
are  at  too  great  a  distance  from  their  subterraneous 
habitations,  they  contrive  to  dig  one  before  they  are 
overcome ;  for  the  mole  is  not  more  expert  in  digging 
the  ground.  They  are  sometimes  caught  before  they 
are  out  of  sight,  and  they  make  then  such  a  resistance, 
that  the  tail  is  broken  without  bringing  out  the  body : 
in  order  to  take  them  without  mutilation,  the  burrow 
must  be  opened,  they  are  then  caught  without  making 
any  resistance:  when  they  find  themselves  in  the  hand 
of  their  pursuers,  they  roll  themselves  up  into  a  ball, 
and  are  placed  near  the  fire,  to  force  them  to  stretch 
out  their  coat  of  mail ;  which  hard  as  it  is,  as  soon 
a*  it  is  touched  by  the  finger,  the  animal  receives  so 


THE   ARMADILLO.  89 

quick  an  impression,  that  he  contracts  instantaneously. 
When  they  are  in  deep  burrows,  the  method  of  forcing 
them  out  is  to  smoke  them,  or  to  let  water  run  down 
the  hole:  the  former  process,  however,  is  not  always 
successful,  as  while  his  pursuer  digs  the  animal  digs 
also,  and  so  effectually  closes  up  the  hole,  by  throwing 
up  the  earth  backwards,  that  the  smoke  is  excluded. 
Some  pretend  they  remain  under  ground  above  three 
months  without  ventunng  out ;  it  is  true,  that  they 
remain  in  their  holes  in  the  day-time,  and  never  go 
out  but  in  the  night  to  seek  for  their  subsistence.  The 
Armadillo  is  hunted  with  small  dogs,  who  soon  over- 
take him  ;  but  he  stops  before  they  have  reached  him, 
and  contracts  himself;  in  this  condition  he  is  taken 
and  carried  off.  If  he  rinds  himself  on  the  brink  of  a 
precipice,  he  escapes  the  dogs  and  the  hunters,  by 
rolling  himself  up,  and  letting  himself  fall  down  like  a 
ball,  without  injury  or  prejudice  to  his  scales. 

The  Armadillo,  says  Mr.  Waterton,  is  very  common 
in  these  (the  South  American)  forests ;  he  burrows  in 
the  sand  hills  like  a  rabbit.  As  it  often  takes  a  con- 
siderable time  to  dig  him  out  of  his  hole,  it  would  be 
a  long  and  laborious  business  to  attack  each  hole  indis- 
criminately without  knowing  whether  the  animal  were 
there  or  not.  To  prevent  disappointment,  the  Indians 
carefully  mine  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  and  put  a  short 
stick  down  it.  Now  if,  on  introducing  the  stick,  a 
number  of  moscheto^s  come  out,  the  Indians  know  to 
a  certainty  that  the  Armadillo  is  in  it ;  whenever  there 
are  no  moschetoes  in  the  hole,  there  is  no  Armadillo. 

These  animals  are  fat,  and  very  prolific ;  the  female 
brings  forth,  as  it  is  reported,  four  young  ones  every 
month,  which  makes  their  species  very  numerous. 
They  are  good  to  eat,  and  are  easily  taken  with  snares 
laid  for  them  on  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  in  the  marshy 
grounds,  which  they  inhabit  in  preference.  It  is, pre- 
tended, that  they  are  not  afraid  of  the  bite  of  the 
rattlesnake ;  it  is  likewise  pretended,  that  they  live 
in  peace  with  these  reptiles,  which  are  often  found  in 
their  holes.  The  savages  apply  their  scales  to  different 
purposes,  and  make  of  them  baskets,  boxes,  and  other 
small  vessels  light  and  solid.  The  Armadillo  is  only 
found  in  South  America. 

8* 


90 


THE  PACA,  OR  SPOTTED  CAW, 


Is  an  animal  of  the  New  World,  who  digs  a  burrow 
like  a  rabbit,  to  which  he  has  been  compared,  though 
there  is  scarcely  any  likeness  between  these  two  ani- 
mals ;  he  is  much  larger  than  the  rabbit,  and  even  than 
the  hare;  he  has  a  round  head,  and  the  snout  short; 
he  is  fat  and  bulky,  and  by  the  form  of  his  body,  he  is 
more  like  a  pig,  as  well  as  by  grunting,  waddling,  and 
the  manner  of  eating  ;  for  he  does  not  use,  as  the  rabbit 
does,  his  fore  feet  to  carry  food  to  his  month  ;  but 
grubs  up  the  earth  like  the  hog,  to  find  his  subsistence. 
The  colour  of  the  back  is  dark  brown,  or  liver-coloured  ; 
but  is  lighter  on  the  sides,  which  are  beautifully  marked 
with  lines  of  white  spots,  running  in  parallel  directions 
from  its  throat  to  its  rump  ;  those  on  the  upper  part 
of  the  body  are  perfectly  distinct  ;  the  belly  is  white. 
Its  head  is  large  ;  its  ears  short  and  naked  ;  its  eyes 
full,  and  placed  high  in  its  head,  near  the  ears  ;  it  has 
two  strong  yellow  cutting  teeth  in  each  jaw  ;  its  mouth 
is  small  ;  its  upper  lip  divided  ;  and  it  has  long  whiskers 
on  its  lips,  and  on  each  side  of  its  head,  under  the  ears. 
Its  legs  are  short,  with  four  toes  on  the  fore,  and  three 
on  the  hind  foot  ;  and  it  has  no  tail. 

These  animals  inhabit  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  are 
found  in  damp  and  hot  places  of  South  America  :  the 
flesh  is  very  good  to  eat,  and  excessively  fat,  their  skin 
also  is  eaten  as  that  of  a  pig  ;  the  natives  of  Brazil 
consider  the  flesh  to  be  a  great  delicacy  ;  a  perpetual 
war  is  therefore  carried  on  against  these  animals. 
Hunters  find  it  very  difficult  to  take  them  alive  ;  and 
when  they  are  surprised  in  their  burrows,  which  have 
two  openings,  they  defend  themselves,  and  bite  with 
great  rage  and  inveteracy.  When  pursued,  they  take 
to  the  water,  and  escape  by  diving.  If  attacked  by 
dogs,  it  defends  itself  vigorously.  Their  skin,  though 
covered  with  short  and  rough  hair,  is  valuable,  beeause 
it  is  spotted  on  the  sides.  These  animals  bring  forth 
young  in  abundance  :  men,  and  animals  of  prey,  destroy 
a  great  quantity  of  them,  and  yet  the  species  is  still 
numerous.  They  are  peculiar  to  South  America,  and 
»re  found  nowhere  in  the  Old  Continent. 


THE    OPOSSUM.  01 


THE    OPOSSUM 

Is  an  animal  of  America,  which  is  easily  distin- 
guished from  all  others  b/  two  singular  characters  : 
the  first  is,  that  the  female  has  under  the  belly  a  large 
cavity,  where  she  receives  and  suckles  her  young  ;  the 
second  is,  that  the  male  and  the  female  have  no  claws 
on  the  great  toe  of  the  hind  feet,  which  are  separated 
from  the  others,  as  the  thumb  in  the  hand  of  a  man, 
whilst  the  toes  are  armed  with  crooked  claws,  as  in 
the  feet  of  other  quadrupeds. 

The  Opossum  is  not  found  in  the  northern  parts  of 
the  New  World;  but  he  does  not  constantly  dwell  in 
the  hottest  climates.  He  is  found  not  only  in  Brazil, 
Guiana,  and  Mexico,  but  also  in  Florida,  Virginia,  and 
other  temperate  regions  of  this  continent.  It  produces 
often,  and  a  great  number  of  young  each  time.  Most 
authors  say,  four  or  five  young  ;  others,  six  or  seven. 
Marcgrave  affirms,  that  he  has  seen  six  young  living 
in  the  bag  of  the  female  ;  they  were  about  two  inches 
in  length,  they  were  already  very  nimble,  they  went  in 
and  out  of  the  bag  many  times  in  a  day  :  they  are  still 
smaller  when  they  are  just  brought  forth.  Some 
travellers  say,  that  they  are  not  larger  than  flies  when 
they  go  out  of  the  uterus  into  the  bag,  and  stick  to  tho 
paps  :  this  fact  is  not  so  much  exaggerated  as  some 
people  may  imagine,  for  we  have  seen  ourselves  in  an 
animal,  whose  species  is  like  that  of  the  Opossum, 
young  ones  sticking  to  the  paps  not  larger  than  a  bean. 

The  young  Opossums  stick  to  the  paps  of  the  mother 
till  they  have  acquired  strength  enough,  and  a  sufficient 
growth  to  move  easily.  This  fact  is  not  doubtful,  nor 
even  particular  in  this  species  only.  Some  authors 
pretend,  that  they  stick  to  the  paps  for  several  weeks  ; 
others  say,  that  they  remain  in  the  bag  only  the  first 
month  after  they  go  out  of  the  womb.  One  may  open 
with  facility  this  bag,  observe,  count,  and  even  feel  the 
young  without  disturbing  them  ;  they  will  not  leave 
the  pap,  which  they  hold  with  their  mouth,  until  they 
are  strong  enough  to  walk;  then  they  let  themselves 
fall  into  the  bag,  and  go  out,  and  seek  for  their  subsist- 
ence 5  they  go  in  again  to  sleep,  to  suckle,  and  to  hide 
themselves  when  they  are  terrified,  when  the  nother 


92  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

flies,  and  carries  in  it  the  young :  her  belly  does  not 
seem  bigger  when  she  breeds  than  common,  for  in  the 
time  of  the  true  gestation,  it  is  scarcely  perceivable 
that  she  is  with  young. 

From  the  mere  inspection  of  the  form  of  the  feet  of 
this  animal,  it  is  easy  to  judge  that  he  walks  awkwardly, 
and  seldom  runs  :  a  man  can  overtake  him  without 
hastening  his  steps.  He  climbs  up  trees  with  great 
facility,  hides  himself  in  the  leaves  to  catch  birds,  or 
hangs  himself  by  the  tail,  the  extremity  of  which  is 
muscular,  and  flexible  as  the  hand,  so  that  he  may 
squeeze,  and  even  incurvate  all  the  bodies  he  seizes 
upon  :  he  sometimes  remains  a  long  while  in  this  situa- 
tion, without  motion ;  his  body  hangs  with  his  head 
downward,  when  he  silently  waits  for  his  prey  ;  at 
other  times,  he  balances  himself  to  jump  from  one  tree  to 
another  like  the  monkeys  with  like  muscular  and  flexi- 
ble tails,  which  he  resembles  also  in  the  conformation 
of  the  feet.  Though  he  is  voracious  and  even  greedy  of 
olood,  which  he  sucks  with  avidity,  he  feeds  also  upon 
reptiles,  insects,  sugarcanes,  potatoes,  roots,  and  even 
leaves  and  bark  of  trees.  He  may  be  fed  as  a  domestic 
animal ;  he  is  neither  wild  nor  ferocious ;  he  is  easily 
tamed,  but  he  creates  disgust  by  his  bad  smell,  stronger 
and  more  offensive  than  that  of  the  fox  ;  his  figure  is 
also  forbidding ;  for,  independently  of  his  ears,  which 
resemble  those  of  an  owl,  of  his  tail,  which  resembles 
that  of  a  serpent,  and  of  his  mouth,  which  is  cleft  to 
the  very  eyes,  his  body  appears  always  very  dirty, 
because  his  hair  is  neither  smooth  nor  curled,  but  tar- 
nished, as  if  covered  with  dirt.  The  bad  smell  of  this 
animal  resides  in  the  skin,  for  his  flesh  is  eatable.  The 
savages  hunt  this  animal  and  feed  on  his  flesh  heartily. 
It  is  so  tenacious  of  life,  that,  in  North  Carolina,  it  has 
given  rise  to  an  adage,  that  "  if  a  cat  has  nine  lives, 
an  Opossum  has  nineteen." 

The  latest  and  fullest  account  of  the  manners  and 
habits  of  the  Opossum  tribe  is  given  by  Dr.  Goodman, 
an  American  naturalist.  "  The  Opossum  (says  he)  is 
very  remarkable  from  other  peculiarities,  beside  those 
which  relate  to  the  continuation  of  its  kind.  In  the 
first  place,  it  has  a  very  large  number  of  teeth  (no  less 
than  fifty),  and  its  hind  feet  are  actually  rendered  hands, 
by  short,  fleshy,  and  opposable  thumbs,  wh.ih,  together 


».-•*-  THE  OPOSSUM.  93 

with  the  prominences  in  the  palms  of  these  posterior 
hands,  enable  the  animal  to  take  firm  hold  of  objects 
which  no  one  would  think  could  be  thus  grasped.  An 
Opossum  can  cling  by  these  feet  hands  to  a  smooth  silk 
handkerchief,  or  a  silk  dress,  with  great  security,  and 
climb  up  by  the  same.  In  like  manner  he  can  ascend 
by  a  skain  of  silk,  or  even  a  few  threads.  The  slightest 
projection  or  doubling,  of  any  material,  affords  him  a 
certain  mean  of  climbing  to  any  desired  height.  An- 
other curious  and  amusing  peculiarity  is  his  prehensile 
tail ;  by»simply  curving  this  at  the  extremity,  the  Opos- 
sum sustains  his  weight,  and  depends  from  a  limb  of  a 
tree,  or  other  projecting  body,  and  hanging  in  full 
security,  gathers  fruit,  or  seizes  any  prey  within  his 
reach ;  to  regain  his  position  on  the  limb,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  make  a  little  stronger  effort  with  the  tail, 
and  throw  his  body  upward  at  the  same  time. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  more-obvious  peculiarities  of 
the  Opossum,  we  may  advert  to  the  thinness  and 
membranous  character  of  the  external  ears,  which  may 
remind  us  in  some  degree  of  what  has  been  heretofore 
said  relative  to  the  perfection  of  the  sense  of  touch 
possessed  by  the  bat,  in  consequence  of  the  delicacy 
of  the  extended  integument  forming  the  ears  and  wings. 
The  extremity  of  the  nose  of  our  animal  is  also  covered 
by  a  soft,  moist,  and  delicate  integument,  which  is,  no 
doubt,  very  sensitive.  On  the  sides  of  the  nose,  or 
rather  on  the  upper  lip,  there  are  numerous  long 
and  strong  divergent  whiskers,  or  bristles,  projecting 
to  the  distance  of  nearly  three  inches ;  over  each  eye 
there  are  two  long  black  bristles,  rather  softer  than 
the  others,  somewhat  crisped,  or  undulated,  and  slightly 
decurved  ;  while,  on  the  posterior  part  of  the  cheek 
and  about  an  inch  below  and  in  front  of  the  ear,  there 
is  a  bunch  of  long,  straight  bristles  (very  similar  to 
those  of  a  hog),  six  or  eight  in  number,  projecting 
laterally,  so  as  to  farm  a  right  angle  with  the  head. 
When  the  elongated  conical  form  of  the  Opossum's 
head  is  recollected,  together  with  its  nocturnal  habits, 
we  cannot  avoid  remarking,  that  all  these  arrangements 
appear  to  have  immediate  reference  to  the  safety  of 
the  animal,  furnishing  the  means  of  directing  its  course, 
and  warning  it  of  the  presence  of  bodies  which  other- 
wise might  not  be  discovered  until  too  ate. 


94  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

"The  mouth  of  the  Opossum  is  very  wide  when 
open,  yet  the  animal  does  not  drink  by  lapping,  but  by 
suction.  The  wideness  of  the  mouth  is  rendered  very 
remarkable  when  the  female  is  approached,  while  in 
company  with  her  young.  She  then  silently  drops 
the  lower  jaw  to  the  greatest  distance  it  is  capable  of 
moving,  retracts  the  angles  of  the  lips,  and  shows  the 
whole  of  her  teeth,  which  thus  present  a  formidable 
array.  She  then  utters  a  muttering  kind  of  snarl,  but 
does  not  snap,  until  the  hand,  or  other  object,  be 
brought  very  close.  If  this  be  a  stick,  or  any  hard 
or  insensible  body,  she  seldom  closes  her  mouth  on  it 
after  the  first  or  second  time,  but  maintains  the  same 
gaping  and  snarling  appearance,  even  when  it  is  thrust 
into  her  mouth,  At  the  same  time,  the  young,  if  they 
have  attained  any  size,  either  exhibit  their  signs  of 
defiance,  take  refuge  in  the  pouch  of  the  mother,  or, 
clinging  to  various  parts  of  her  body,  hide  their  faces 
amidst  her  long  hair. 

"  The  general  colour  of  the  Opossum  is  a  whitish 
gray.  From  the  top  of  the  head  along  the  back  and 
upper  part  of  the  sides,  the  gray  is  darkest,  and  this 
colour  is  produced  by  the  intermixture  of  coarse  white 
hairs,  upwards  of  three  inches  long,  with  a  shorter, 
closer,  and  softer  hair,  which  is  white  at  base,  and  black 
for  about  half  an  inch  at  tip.  The  whole  pelage  (fur) 
is  of  a  woolly  softness,  and  the  long  white  hairs  diverg- 
ing considerably,  allow  the  back  parts  to  be  seen,  so 
as  to  give  the  general  gray  colour  already  mentioned. 
On  the  face  the  wool  is  short,  and  of  a  smoky  white 
colour  ;  that  on  the  belly  is  of  the  same  character,  but 
is  longer  on  the  fore  and  hind  legs;  the  colour  is  nearly 
black  from  the  body  to  the  digits,  which  are  naked  be- 
neath. The  tail  is  thick  and  black,  for  upwards  of 
three  inches  at  base,  and  is  covered  by  small  hexagonal 
scales,  having  short  rigid  hairs  interspersed  through- 
out its  length,  which  are  but  slightly  perceptible  at  a 
little  distance.  The  Opossum  is  generally  killed  for 
the  sake  of  its  flesh  and  fat.  Its  wool  is  of  considera- 
ble length  and  fineness  during  the  winter  season,  and 
we  should  suppose,  that  in  manufactures  it  would  be 
equal  to  the  sheep's  wool  which  is  wrought  into  coarse 
hats. 

"The  Opossum  is  a  nocturnal  and  timid  animal,  de- 


THE    OPOSSUM.  05 

pending  for  his  safety  more  on  cunning  than  strength. 
His  motions  arf  slow,  and  his  walk,  when  on  the  ground, 
entirely  plantigrade,  which  gives  an  appearance  of 
clumsiness  to  his  movements.  When  on  the  branches 
of  trees,  he  moves  with  much  greater  ease,  and  with 
perfect  security  from  sudden  gusts  of  wind;  even  were 
his  weight  sufficient  to  break  the  limb  on  which  he  rests, 
there  is  no  danger  of  his  falling  to  the  earth,  unless 
when  on  the  lowest  branch,  as  he  can  certainly  catch, 
and  securely  cling,  to  the  smallest  intervening  twigs, 
either  with  the  hands  or  the  extremity  of  the  tail.  This 
organ  is  always  employed  by  the  animal  while  on  the 
smaller  branches  of  trees,  as  if  to  guard  against  such 
an  occurrence,  and  it  is  very  useful  in  aiding  the  Opos- 
sum to  collect  his  food,  by  enabling  him  to  suspend 
himself  from  a  branch  above,  while  rifling  a  bird's  nest 
of  its  eggs,  or  gathering  fruits. 

"The  food  of  the  Opossum  varies  very  much,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances.  It  preys  upon  birds,  various  small 
quadrupeds,  eggs,  and,  no  doubt,  occasionally  upon  in- 
sects. The  poultry  yards  are  sometimes  visited,  and 
much  havoc  committed  by  the  Opossum,  as,  like  the  wea- 
sel, this  animal  is  fonder  of  cutting  the  throats  and 
sucking  the  blood  of  a  number  of  individuals,  than  of 
satisfying  his  hunger  by  eating  the  flesh  of  one.  Among 
the  wild  fruits,  the  persimmon  (Diospyros  Virginiand) 
is  a  great  favourite,  and  it  is  generally  after  this  fruit  is 
in  perfection  that  the  Opossum  is  killed  by  the  country 
people  for  the  market.  At  that  season  it  is  very  fat, 
and  but  little  difference  is  to  be  perceived  between  this 
fat  and  that  of  a  young  pig.  The  flavour  of  the  flesh 
is  compared  to  that  of  a  roasting  pig;  we  have  in  seve- 
ral instances  seen  it  refused  by  dogs  and  cats,  although 
the  Opossum  was  in  fine  order,  and  but  recently  killed 
This  may  have  been  owing  to  some  accidental  circum 
stance,  but  it  was  uniformly  rejected  by  these  animals 
usually  not  very  nice  when  raw  flesh  is  offered. 

"  The  hunting  of  the  Opossum  is  a  favourite  sporl 
with  the  country  people,  who  frequently  go  out  with 
their  dogs  at  night,  after  the  autumnal  frosts  have 
begun,  and  the  persimmon  fruit  is  in  its  most  delicious 
state.  The  Opossum,  as  soon  as  he  discovers  the 
approach  of  his  enemies,  lies  perfectly  close  to  the 
branch,  or  places  himself  snugly  in  the  angle  where 


NATU?  *.!,    HISTORY. 

two  limbs  separate  from  each  other.  The  dogs,  how 
ever,  soon  announce  the  fact  of  his  presence,  by  their 
baying,  and  the  hunter,  ascending  the  tree,  discovers 
the  branch  upon  which  the  animal  is  sealed,  and  begins 
to  shake  it  with  great  violence,  to  alarm,  and  cause 
him  to  relax  his  hold.  This  is  soon  effected,  and  the 
Opossum,  attempting  to  escape  to  another  limb,  is  pur- 
sued immediately,  and  the  shaking  is  renewed  with 
greater  violence,  until  at  length  the  terrified  quadruped 
allows  himself  to  drop  to  the  ground,  where  hunters, 
or  dogs,  are  prepared  to  despatch  him. 

"  Should  the  hunter,  as  frequently  happens,  be  unac- 
companied by  dogs  when  the  Opossum  falls  to  the 
ground,  it  does  not  immediately  make  its  escape,  but 
steals  slowly  and  quietly  to  a  little  distance,  and  then 
gathering  itself  into  as  small  a  compass  as  possible, 
remains  as  still  as  if  dead.  Should  there  be  any  quan- 
tity of  grass  or  underwood  near  the  tree,  this  apparently 
simple  artifice  is  frequently  sufficient  to  secure  the  ani- 
mal's escape,  as  it  is  difficult  by  moonlight,  or  in  the 
shadow  of  the  tree,  to  distinguish  it;  and  if  the  hunter 
has  not  carefully  observed  the  spot  where  it  fell,  his 
labour  is  often  in  vain.  This  circumstance,  however, 
is  generally  attended  to,  and  the  Opossum  derives  bul 
little  benefit  from  his  instinctive  artifice. 

"After  remaining  in  this  apparently  lifeless  condition 
for  a  considerable  time,  or  so  long  as  any  noise  indica- 
tive of  danger  can  be  heard,  the  Opossum  slowly 
unfolds  himself,  and  creeping  as  closely  as  possible 
upon  the  ground,  would  fain  sneak  off  unperceived. 
Upon  a  shout,  or  outcry,  in  any  tone,  from  his  perse- 
cutor, he  immediately  renews  his  deathlike  attitude 
and  stillness.  If  then  approached,  moved,  or  handled, 
he  is  still  seemingly  dead,  and  might  deceive  any  oae 
not  accustomed  to  his  actions.  This  feigning  is  repeated 
as  frequently  as  opportunity  is  allowed  him  of  attempt- 
ing to  escape,  and  is  known  so  well  to  the  country 
folks,  as  to  have  long  since  passed  into  a  proverb:  '  He 
is  playing  possum^  is  applied  with  great  readiness  by 
them  to  any  one  who  is  thought  to  act  deceitfully,  or 
wishes  to  appear  what  he  is  not. 

"  The  usual  haunts  of  the  Opossum  are  thick  forests, 
and  their  dens  are  generally  in  hollows  of  decayed 
trees,  where  they  pass  the  day  asleep,  and  sally  forth, 


THE    OPOSSUM.  97 

mostly  after  nightfall,  to  seek  food.  They  are  occa- 
sionally seen  out  during  daylight,  especially  when  they 
have  young  ones  of  considerable  size,  too  large  to  be 
carried  in  the  maternal  pouch.  The  female  then  offers 
a  very  singular  appearance,  as  she  toils  along  with 
twelve  or  sixteen  cubs,  nearly  of  the  size  of  rats,  each 
with  a  turn  of  his  tail  around  the  root  of  the  mother's, 
and  clinging  on  her  back  and  sides  with  paws,  hands, 
and  mouth.  This  circumstance  was  thought  distinc- 
tive of  another  species,  hence  called  dorsigera,  but  is 
equally  true  of  the  common  or  Virginian  Opossum.  It 
is  exceedingly  curious  and  interesting  to  see  the  young, 
when  the  mother  is  at  rest,  take  refuge  in  the  pouch, 
whence  one  or  two  of  them  may  be  seen  peeping  out, 
with  an  air  of  great  comfort  and  satisfaction.  The 
mother  in  this  condition,  or  at  any  time  in  defence  of 
her  young,  will  make  battle,  biting  with  much  keen- 
ness and  severity,  for  which  her  long  canine  teeth  are 
well  suited. 

"  If  taken  young,  the  Opossum  is  generally  tamed, 
and  becomes  very  fond  of  human  society,  in  a  great 
degree  relinquishes  its  nocturnal  habits,  and  grows 
troublesome  from  its  familiarity.  We  have  had  one 
thus  tamed,  which  would  follow  the  inmates  of  the 
house  with  great  assiduity,  and  complain  with  a  whin- 
ing noise  when  left  alone.  As  it  grew  older  it  became 
mischievous,  from  its  restless  curiosity,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  possibility  of  devising  any  contrivance 
effectually  to  secure  it.  The  same  circumstance  is  fre- 
quently remarked  by  persons  who  have  attempted  to 
detain  them  in  captivity ;  and  of  the  instances  which 
have  come  to  our  knowledge,  where  even  a  great  num- 
ber were  apparently  well  secured,  they  have  all  in  a 
short  time  enlarged  themselves,  and  been  no  more 
heard  of.  In  some  such  instances  these  animals  have 
escaped  in  the  city,  and  for  a  long  time  have  taken  up 
their  quarters  in  cellars,  where  their  presence  has  never 
been  suspected,  as  during  the  day  they  remained  con- 
cealed. In  this  way  it  is  very  probable  that  many  art 
still  living  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  obtaining  a  plen 
tiful  food  by  their  nightly  labours." 


VOL.  II.— 


98  NATIRAL   HISTORY. 


THE    HARMOSE,  OR    MURINE    OPOSSUM 

RESEMBLES  in  most  respects  the  latter  species  ;  they 
are  natives  of  the  same  climate,  in  the  same  continent, 
and  are  very  much  alike  by  the  form  of  the  body,  the 
conformation  of  the  feet,  and  the  tail,  a  part  of  which 
is  covered  with  scales,  the  upper  part  only  being  hairy 
But  the  Marmose  is  smaller  than  the  common  Opossum, 
his  snout  is  still  sharper ;  the  female  has  no  bag  under 
the  belly,  she  has  only  two  loose  skins  near  the  thighs, 
between  which  the  young  place  themselves  to  stick  to 
the  paps.  When  the  young  are  brought  forth,  they  are 
not  so  large  as  small  beans;  they  then  stick  to  the  paps. 
The  brood  of  the  Marmose  is  very  numerous  ;  we  have 
seen  ten  small  Marmoses,  each  sticking  to  a  pap,  and 
the  mother  had  still  four  more  paps.  It  is  probable  that 
these  animals  bring  forth  a  few  days  after  the  concep- 
tion. The  young  are  then  foetuses  only,  which  are  not 
come  to  the  fourth  part  of  their  growth. 

THE    CAYOPHLLIN,  Or    MEXICAN   OPOSSUM, 

SAYS  Fernandez,  is  a  small  animal,  a  little  larger  than 
a  rat,  very  much  resembling  the  Opossum  in  the  snout, 
the  ears,  and  the  tail,  which  is  thicker  and  stronger 
than  that  of  a  rat;  he  makes  use  of  it  as  we  do  our 
hands;  he  has  thin  transparent  ears;  the  belly,  the  legs 
and  feet  white.  The  young,  wheji  they  are  frightened 
embrace  the  mother,  who  lifts  them  up  on  the  trees. 
This  species  has  been  found  on  the  mountains  of  New 
Spain. 

THE  FLYING    OPOSSUM. 

THIS  animal  is  found  in  New  South  Wales  :  its  head 
is  like  a  squirrel's,  with  ears  large  and  erect,  but  the 
fur  is  more  delicate,  and  of  a  beautiful  dark  glossy  co- 
lour, mixed  with  gray,  the  under  parts  white;  on  each 
hip  is  a  tan  coloured  spot.  The  sailing  membrane  re- 
sembles the  flying  squirrel's,  but  is  broader  in  propor- 
tion ;  on  the  fore  legs  it  has  five  toes,  with  a  claw  on 
each  ;  on  the  hind  ones,  four  toes,  and  a  long  thumb, 
which  enables  the  animal  to  use  it  as  a  hand  ;  it  is  re- 
markable, that  the  three  out  claws  sf  the  hind  feet  are 
not  separated  like  the  others. 


THE    ELEFHANT.  90 


CHAPTER  XVi. 

Of  the  Elephant — The  Rhinoceros — The  Camel  and 
Dromedary — The  Buffalo,  the  Urus,  the  Bison,  the 
Arn.ee,  and  the  Zebu. 

THE    ELEPHANT. 

THE  human  race  excepted,  the  Elephant  is  the  most 
respectable  of  animals.  In  size  he  surpasses  all  other 
terrestrial  creatures,  and  in  understanding  he  is  inferior 
only  to  man.  Of  all  the  brute  creation,  the  Elephant, 
the  dog,  the  ape,  and  the  beaver,  are  most  admirable 
for  their  sagacity  ;  but  the  genius  of  the  dog  is  only 
borrowed,  being  instructed  by  man  in  almost  every 
thing  he  knows  ;  the  monkey  has  only  the  appearance 
of  wisdom,  and  the  beaver  is  only  sensible  with  regard 
to  himself,  and  those  of  his  species.  The  Elephant  is 
superior  to  them  all  three ;  he  unites  all  their  most 
eminent  qualities.  The  hand  is  the  principal  organ  of 
the  monkey's  dexterity  ;  the  Elephant  with  his  trunk, 
which  serves  him  instead  of  arms  and  hands,  with 
which  he  can  lift  up,  and  seize  the  smallest,  as  well  as 
the  largest  objects,  carry  them  to  his  mouth,  place  them 
on  his  back,  hold  them,  or  throw  them  far  off*,  has  the 
same  dexterity  as  the  monkey,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  tractableness  of  the  dog;  he  is  like  him  susceptible 
of  gratitude,  capable  of  a  strong  attachment ;  he  uses 
himself  to  man  without  reluctance,  and  submits  to  him, 
not  so  much  by  force,  as  by  good  treatment ;  he  serves 
him  with  zeal,  intelligence  and  fidelity;  in  fine,  the 
Elephant,  like  the  beaver,  loves  the  society  of  his 
equals,  and  makes  them  understand  him.  They  are 
often  seen  to  assemble  together,  disperse,  act  in  con- 
cert, and  if  they  do  not  erect  buildings,  and  do  not  work 
in  common,  it  is  perhaps,  for  want  of  room  only,  and 
tranquillity;  for  men  have  very  anciently  multiplied 
in  all  the  regions  inhabited  by  the  Elephant ;  he  con- 
sequently lives  in  fear  and  anxiety,  and  is  nowhere  a 
peaceful  possessor  of  a  space  large  and  secure  enough 
to  establish  his  habitation  on  a  settled  spot.  Every 
being  in  nature  has  his  real  price,  and  relative  value  ; 


100  NATURAL    HI&TORY. 

to  judge  of  both  in  the  Elephant,  we  must  allow  him 
at  least  the  judgment  of  the  beaver,  the  dexterity  of 
the  monkey,  the  sentiment  of  the  dog,  and  to  add  to 
these  qualifications,  the  peculiar  advantages  of  strength, 
size,  and  longevity.  We  must  not  forget  his  arms,  or 
his  defence,  with  which  he  can  pierce  through  and 
conquer  the  lion.  We  must  observe,  that  he  shakes 
the  ground  at  every  step  ;  that  with  his  trunk  he  roots 
up  trees  ;  that  with  the  strength  of  his  body  he  makes 
a  breach  in  a  wall ;  that  being  terrible  by  his  force, 
he  is  invincible  by  the  resistance  only  of  his  enormous 
mass,  and  by  the  thickness  of  the  leather  which  covers 
it;  that  he  can  carry  on  his  back  a  tower  armed  in 
war,  with  a  number  of  men ;  that  he  alone  moves 
machines,  and  carries  burthens,  which  six  horses 
cannot  move.  To  this  prodigious  strength  he  joins 
courage,  prudence,  coolness,  and  an  exact  obedience  : 
he  preserves  moderation  even  in  his  most  violent  pas- 
sion ;  he  is  more  constant  than  impetuous  in  love  ;  in 
anger  he  does  not  forget  his  friends  ;  he  never  attacks 
any  but  those  who  have  given  him  offence  ;  he  remem- 
bers favours  as  long  as  injuries  :  having  no  taste  for 
flesh,  and  feeding  chiefly  upon  vegetables,  he  is  not 
naturally  an  enemy  to  other  animals  ;  he  is  beloved 
by  them  all,  since  all  of  them  respect  him,  and  have 
no  cause  to  fear  him.  For  these  reasons,  men  have 
had  at  all  times  a  veneration  for  this  great,  this  first 
of  animals.  The  ancients  considered  the  Elephant  as 
a  prodigy,  a  miracle  of  nature  ;  they  have  much  exag- 
gerated his  natural  faculties ;  they  attribute  to  him, 
without  hesitation,  not  only  intellectual  qualities,  but 
moral  virtues. 

In  a  wild  state,  the  Elephant  is  neither  bloody  nor 
ferocious;  his  manners  are  social;  he  seldom  wanders 
alone  ;  he  commonly  walks  in  company,  the  oldest 
leads  the  herd,  the  next  in  age  drives  them,  and  forms 
the  rear ;  the  young  and  the  weak  are  in  the  middle. 
The  females  carry  their  young,  and  hold  them  close 
with  their  trunks.  They  only  observe  this  order, 
however,  in  perilous  marches,  when  they  go  to  feed 
on  cultivated  lands  ;  they  walk  or  travel  with  less 
precaution  in  forests  and  solitary  places,  but  still 
keeping  at  such  a  moderate  distance  from  each  other, 
•8  to  be  able  to  give  mutua  assistance,  and  seasonable 


THE    ELEPHANT.  101 

warnings  of  Janger.  Some,  however,  straggle,  and 
remain  behind  the  others  ;  none  but  these  are  attacked 
by  hunters,  for  a  small  army  would  be  requisite  to 
assail  the  whole  herd,  and  they  could  not  conquer 
without  a  great  loss  of  men;  it  is  even  dangerous  to 
do  them  the  least  injury,  they  go  straight  to  the  of- 
fender, and,  notwithstanding  the  weight  of  their  body, 
they  walk  so  fast  that  they  easily  overtake  the  lighest 
man  in  running ;  they  pierce  him  through  with  their 
tusks,  or  seize  him  with  their  trunks,  throw  him  against 
a  stone,  and  tread  him  under  their  feet;  but  it  is  only 
•when  they  have  been  provoked,  that  they  become  so 
furious  and  so  implacable.  It  is  said,  that  when  they 
have  been  once  attacked  by  men,  or  have  fallen  into 
a  snare,  they  never  forget  it,  and  seek  for  revenge  on 
all  occasions.  As  they  have  an  exquisite  sense  of 
smelling,  perhaps  more  perfect  than  any  other  animal, 
owing  to  the  large  extent  of  their  nose,  they  smell  a 
man  at  a  great  distance,  and  could  easily  follow  him 
by  the  track.  These  animals  are  fond  of  the  banks  of 
rivers,  deep  valleys,  shady  places,  and  marshy  grounds ; 
they  cannot  subsist  a  long  while  without  water,  and 
they  make  it  thick  and  muddy  before  they  drink ;  they 
often  fill  their  trunks  with  it,  either  to  convey  it  to  their 
mouth,  or  only  to  cool  their  nose,  and  to  amuse  them- 
selves in  sprinkling  it  around  them  ;  they  cannot  sup- 
port cold,  and  suffer  equally  from  excessive  heat,  for, 
to  avoid  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun,  they  penetrate 
into  the  thickest  forests  ;  they  also  bathe  often  in  the 
water;  the  enormous  size  of  their  body  is  rather  an 
advantage  to  them  in  swimming,  and  they  do  not  swim 
so  deep  in  the  water  as  other  animals ;  besides,  the 
length  of  their  trunk,  which  they  erect,  and  through 
which  they  breathe,  takes  from  them  all  fear  of  being 
drowned. 

Their  common  food  is  roots,  herbs,  leaves,  and 
young  branches ;  they  also  eat  fruit  and  corn,  bu« 
they  have  a  dislike  to  flesh  and  fish.  When  one  of 
them  finds  abundant  pasture,  he  calls  the  others,  and 
invites  them  to  come  and  feed  with  him.  As  they  want 
a  great  quantity  of  fodder,  they  often  change  their 
place,  and  when  they  find  cultivated  lands,  they  make 
a  prodigious  waste ;  their  bodies  being  of  an  enor- 
mous weight  they  destroy  ten  times  more  with  their 
9* 


102  NATURAL  HISTOKV. 

feet,  than  they  consume  for  their  food,  which  may  be 
reckoned  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
of  grass  daily.  As  they  never  feed  but  in  great  num- 
bers, they  waste  a  large  territory  in  about  an  hour's 
time  ;  for  this  reason  the  Indians  and  the  Negroes  take 
great  pains  to  prevent  their  visits,  and  to  drive  them 
away,  by  making  a  great  noise,  and  great  fires ;  not- 
withstanding these  precautions,  however,  the  Elephants 
often  take  possession  of  them,  drive  away  the  cattle 
and  men,  and  sometimes  pull  down  their  cottages.  It 
is  difficult  to  frighten  them,  as  they  are  little  susceptible 
of  fear;  nothing  can  stop  them  but  fireworks,  and 
crackers  thrown  amongst  them,  the  sudden  effect  of 
which,  often  repeated,  forces  them  sometimes  to  turn 
back.  It  is  very  difficult  to  part  them,  for  they  com- 
monly attack  their  enemies  all  together,  proceed  un- 
concerned, or  turn  back. 

The  female  Elephant  goes  two  years  with  young  ; 
when  she  is  in  that  condition  the  male  never  conjoins 
\vith  her.  They  only  bring  forth  a  young  one,  which 
has  teeth  as  soon  as  brought  forth  ;  he  is  then  larger 
than  a  boar  ;  yet  his  tusks  are  not  visible,  they  appear 
soon  after,  and  at  six  months  old  are  some  inches  in 
length  ;  at  that  age,  the  Elephant  is  larger  than  an  ox, 
and  the  tusks  continue  to  increase  till  he  is  advanced 
in  years. 

It  is  very  easy  to  tame  the  Elephant.  As  he  is 
the  strongest  and  most  rational  of  animals,  he  is  more 
serviceable  than  any  of  them ;  but  he  was  formerly 
supposed  to  feel  his  servile  condition,  and  never  to 
couple  in  a  domestic  state.  This,  however,  has  been 
found  to  be  an  erroneous  opinion. 

There  is,  therefore,  no  domestic  Elephant  but  has 
been  wild  before  ;  and  the  manner  of  taking,  taming, 
and  bringing  them  into  submission,  deserves  particular 
attention.  In  the  middle  of  forests,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  places  which  they  frequent,  a  large  space  is 
chosen,  and  encircled  with  palisadoes  ;  the  strongest 
trees  of  the  forest  serve  instead  of  stakes,  to  which 
cross  pieces  of  timber  are  fastened,  which  support  the 
other  stakes ;  a  man  may  easily  pass  through  this 
palisado ;  there  is  another  great  opening,  through 
which  the  Elephant  may  go  in,  with  a  trap  hanging 
over  it,  or  a  gate,  which  is  shut  behind  him :  to  bring 


THE    ELEPHANT,  103 

him  to  that  enclosure,  he  must  be  enticed  by  a  tame 
female  ready  to  take  the  male ;  and  when  her  leader 
thinks  she  is  near  enough  to  be  heard,  he  obliges  her  to 
indicate  by  her  cries  the  condition  she  is  in ;  the  wild 
male  answers  immediately,  and  begins  his  march  to  join 
her ;  she  repeats  her  call  now  and  then,  and  arrives  first 
to  the  first  enclosure,  where  the  male,  following  her 
track,  enters  through  the  sa  me  gate.  As  soon  as  he  per- 
ceives himself  shut  up,  his  ardour  vanishes,  and  when  he 
discovers  the  hunters,  he  becomes  furious  ;  they  throw 
at  him  ropes  with  a  running  knot  to  stop  him ;  they 
fetter  his  legs  and  his  trunk,  they  bring  two  or  three 
tame  Elephants,  led  by  dexterous  men,  and  try  to  tie 
them  with  the  wild  Elephant,  and  at  last,  by  dint  of 
dexterity,  strength,  terror,  and  caresses,  they  succeed 
in  taming  him  in  a  few  days. 

The  Elephant,  once  tamed,  becomes  the  most  tracta- 
ble and  the  most  submissive  of  all  animals ;  he  con- 
ceives an  affection  for  his  leader,  he  caresses  him,  and 
seems  to  guess  whatever  can  please  him :  in  a  little 
time  he  understands  the  signs,  and  even  the  expression 
of  sounds  ;  he  distinguishes  the  tone  of  command,  ^hat 
of  anger  or  good  nature,  and  acts  accordingly  :  he 
never  mistakes  the  words  of  his  master ;  he  receives 
his  orders  with  attention,  executes  them  with  prudence 
and  eagerness,  without  precipitation ;  for  his  motions 
are  always  measured,  and  his  character  seems  to  par- 
ticipate of  the  gravity  of  his  body  ;  he  is  easily  taught 
to  bend  the  knee  to  assist  those  who  will  ride  on  his 
back ;  he  caresses  his  friends  with  his  trunk,  and 
salutes  with  it  the  persons  he  is  directed  to  take  notice 
of:  he  makes  use  of  it  to  lift  burdens,  and  helps  to 
load  himself;  he  has  no  aversion  to  being  clothed,  and 
seems  to  delight  in  a  golden  harness  or  magnificent 
trappings ;  he  is  easily  put  to  the  traces  of  carts,  and 
draws  ships  upon  occasion :  he  draws  evenly,  without 
stopping,  or  any  marks  of  dislike,  provided  he  is  not 
insulted  by  unreasonable  correction,  and  provided  his 
driver  seems  to  be  thankful  for  the  spontaneous  exer- 
tion of  his  strength.  His  leader  is  mounted  on  his 
neck,  and  makes  use  of  an  iron  rod  crooked  at  the  end 
with  which  he  strikes  him  gently  on  the  head  to  make 
him  turn  or  increase  his  pace  ;  but  often  a  word  is  suf- 
liitieat,  especially  if  .ie  has  had  tine  to  make  himself 


104 


NATURAL  HI^TORT. 


well  acquainted  with  his  leader^  and  has  a  confidence 
in  him ;  his  attachment  is  sometimes  so  strong  and  so 
lasting,  and  his  affection  so  great,  that  commonly  he 
refuses  to  serve  under  any  other  person,  and  he  is 
known  to  have  died  of  grief  for  having  in  anger  killed 
his  governor. 

The  species  f  the  Elephant  is  numerous,  though 
they  bring  forth  but  one  young  once  in  two  or  ihree 
years  ;  the  shorter  the  life  of  animals  is,  the  more  they 
multiply:  in  the  Elephant,  the  length  of  his  life  com- 
pensates the  small  number;  and  if  it  is  true,  as  has 
been  affirmed,  that  he  lives  two  hundred  years,  and 
that  he  begets  when  he  is  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years  old,  each  couple  brings  forth  forty  young  in  that 
space  of  time;  besides,  having  nothing  to  fear  from 
other  animals,  and  little  even  from  men,  who  take  them 
with  great  difficulty,  the  species  has  not  decreased, 
and  is  generally  dispersed  in  all  the  southern  parts  of 
Africa  and  Asia. 

From  time  immemorial  the  Indians  made  use  of  Ele 
phants  in  war.  Amongst  those  nations  unacquainted 
with  the  European  military  discipline,  they  were  the 
best  troop  of  their  armies ;  and  as  long  as  battles 
were  decided  by  mere  weapons,  they  commonly  van- 
quished :  yet  we  see  in  history,  that  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  used  themselves  soon  to  those  monsters  of 
war  ;  they  opened  their  ranks  to  let  them  go  through  ; 
they  did  not  attempt  to  wound  them,  but  threw  all 
their  darts  against  their  leaders,  who  were  forced  to 
surrender,  and  to  calm  the  Elephants  when  separated 
from  their  troops ;  and  now  that  fire  is  become  the 
element  of  war,  and  the  principal  instrument  of  death, 
the  Elephants,  who  are  afraid  of  the  noise  and  the  fire 
of  the  artillery,  would  be  rather  an  incumbrance  in 
battle  and  more  dangerous  than  useful. 

In  those  regions,  however,  where  our  cannons  and 
murdering  arts  are  yet  scarcely  known,  they  fight  still 
with  Elephants.  At  Cochin,  and  in  the  other  parts  of 
Malabar,  they  do  not  make  use  of  horses,  and  all  those 
who  do  not  fight  on  foot  are  mounted  upon  Elephants 
In  Tonquin,  Siam,  and  Pegu,  the  king,  and  all  the 
grandees,  ne  rer  ride  but  upon  Elephants :  on  festival 
days  they  ai  3  preceded  and  followed  by  a  great  num- 
ber of  these  animals  richly  caparisoned,  and  covered 


THE    ELEPHANT  105 

with  the  richest  stuffs.  On  comparing  the  relations  of 
travellers  and  historians,  il  appears  that  the  Elephant* 
are  more  numerous  in  Africa  than  in  Asia ;  they  are 
there  also  less  mistrustful,  not  so  wild,  and,  as  if  the} 
knew  the  unskilfulness  and  the  little  power  of  the  men 
with  whom  they  have  to  deal  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
come  every  day  without  fear  to  their  habitations. 

In  general,  the  Elephants  of  Asia  are  of  a  larger  size, 
and  superior  in  strength  to  those  o.  Africa ;  in  par 
ticular,  those  of  Ceylon,  who  exceed  in  courage  and 
sagacity  all  those  of  Asia  :  probably  they  owe  these 
qualifications  to  their  education,  more  improved  in 
Ceylon  than  any  where  else.  They  differ  also  in  other 
particulars,  so  as  to  constitute  them  a  different  species. 
"  His  head  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  is  more  oblong,  and  his 
forehead  presents  in  the  centre  a  deep  concavity  be- 
tween two  lateral  and  rounded  elevations ;  that  of  the 
African  being  round  and  convex  in  all  its  parts.  The 
teeth  of  the  former  are  composed  of  transverse  vertical 
laminae  of  equal  breadth,  while  those  of  the  latter  form 
rhojnboidal  or  lozenge-shaped  divisions.  The  ears  of 
the  Asiatic  are  also  smaller,  and  descend  no  lower  than 
his  neck,  and  he  exhibits  four  distinct  toes  on  his  hind 
feet ;  the  African,  on  the  contrary,  is  furnished  with 
ears  of  much  greater  size,  descending  to  his  legs,  and 
no  more  than  three  toes  are  visible  on  his  posterior 
extremities." 

The  Elephants  of  the  Indies  easily  carry  burdens  of 
three  or  four  thousand  weight ;  the  smallest,  that  is, 
those  of  Africa,  lift  up  freely  with  their  trunks  burdens 
of  two  hundred  pounds  weight,  and  place  them  on  their 
shoulders  ;  they  take  in  this  trunk  a  great  quantity  of 
water,  which  they  throw  out  around  them  at  seven  or 
eight  feet  distance  ;  they  can  carry  burdens  of  more 
than  a  thousand  weight  upon  their  tusks  ;  with  their 
trunk  they  break  branches  of  trees,  and  with  their  tusks 
they  root  out  the  trees.  One  may  judge  of  their  strength 
by  their  agility,  considering  at  the  same  time  the  bulk 
of  their  body;  they  .walk  as  fast  as  a  small  horse  on 
the  trot,  and  when  they  run,  they  can  keep  up  with  a 
horse  on  full  gallop,  which  seldom  happens  in  their 
wild  state,  except  when  they  are  provoked  by  anger,  or 
frightened.  The  tame  Elephants  travel  easily,  and  with- 
out fatigue  fifteen  or  tventy  leagues  a  day  ;  and  when 


106  NATURAL   HISTORY, 

they  are  hurried,  they  may  travel  thirty-five  or  fort/ 
leagues.  They  are  heard  at  a  great  distance,  and  may 
be  followed  very  near  on  the  track,  for  the  traces  which 
they  leave  on  the  ground  are  not  equivocal ;  and  on  the 
ground  where  the  steps  of  their  feet  are  marked,  they 
are  fifteen  or -eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 

When  the  Elephant  is  taken  care  of,  he  lives  a  long 
while  even  in  captivity.  Some  authors  have  written, 
that  he  lives  four  or  five  hundred  years;  others,  two 
or  three  hundred  ;  and  the  most  credible,  one  hundred 
and  twenty,  thirty,  and  even  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  Whatever  care,  however,  is  taken  of  the  Ele- 
phant, he  does  not  live  long  in  temperate  countries, 
and  still  less  in  cold  climate's.  The  Elephant  which 
the  king  of  Portugal  sent  to  Louis  XIV.  in  1668,  and 
which  was  then  but  four  years  old,  died  in  his  seven- 
teenth, in  January,  1681,  and  lived  only  thirteen  years 
in  the  menagerie  of  Versailles,  where  he  was  treated 
with  care  and  tenderness,  and  fed  with  profusion :  he 
had  every  day  four  pounds  of  bread,  twelve  pints  ol 
wine,  two  buckets  of  porridge,  with  four  or  five  pounds 
of  bread,  two  buckets  of  rice  boiled  in  water,  without 
reckoning  what  was  given  to  him  by  visitors ;  he  had, 
besides,  every  day  cme  sheaf  of  corn  to  amuse  himself; 
for,  after  he  had  eaten  the  corn  ears,  he  made  a  kind 
of  whip  of  straw,  and  used  it  to  drive  away  the  flies ; 
he  delighted  in  breaking  the  straw  in  small  bits,  which 
he  did  with  great  dexterity  with  his  trunk  ;  and,  as 
he  was  led  to  walk  daily,  he  plucked  the  grass  and 
ate  it. 

The  common  colour  of  the  Elephant  is  ash-gray,  or 
blackish.  The  white  are  extremely  scarce;  some  have 
been  seen  at  different  times  in  the  Indies,  where  also 
some  are  found  of  a  reddish  colour. 

The  Elephant  has  very  small  eyes,  comparatively 
with  his  enormous  size,  but  they  are  sensible  and 
lively:  and  what  distinguishes  them  from  all  other  ani- 
mals is  their  pathetic,  sentimental  expression.  He 
seems  to  reflect,  to  think,  and  to  deliberate ;  and  never 
acts  till  he  has  examined  and  observed  several  times, 
without  passion  or  precipitation,  the  signs  which  he  is 
to  obey.  Dogs,  the  eyes  of  which  have  much  expres- 
sion, are  animals  too  lively  to  distinguish  their  succes- 
(ive  sensations  ;  but  as  the  Elephant  is  naturally  grave 


THE   ELEPHANT.  107 

«nd  sedate,  one  may  read  in  his  eyes  the  order  and 
outward  appearance  of  his  interior  affections. 

He  has  a  quicj^  hearing,  and  this  organ  is  outwardly 
like  that  of  smelling,  more  marked  in  the  Elephant  than 
in  any  other  animal;  his  ears  are  very  large,  even  in 
proportion  to  his  body;  they  are  flat,  and  close  to  the 
head,  like  those  of  a  man  ;  they  commonly  hang  down, 
but  he  raises  them  up,  and  moves  them  with  great 
facility;  he  makes  use  of  them  to  wipe  his  eyes,  and 
to  cover  them  against  the  inconveniency  of  dust  and 
flies.  He  delights  in  the  sound"  of  instruments,  and 
seems  to  like  music  ;  he  soon  learns  to  beat  time,  and 
to  move  accordingly  :  he  seems  animated  by  the  beat  ot 
the  drum  and  the  sound  of  trumpets  ;  he  has  an  exqui- 
site smell,  and  is  passionately  fond  of  perfumes  of  all 
sorts,  and  of  fragrant  flowers;  he  selects  them  one  after 
another,  and  makes  nosegays,  which  he  smells  with 
eagerness,  and  then  carries  them  to  his  mouth  as  if  he 
intended  to  taste  them. 

His  sense  of  feeling  centres  in  his  trunk  ;  but  it  is 
as  deli.'ate  and  a?  distinct  in  that  sort  of  hand  as  in  that 
of  man:  this  trunk,  composed  of  membranes,  nerves, 
and  muscles,  is,  at  the  same  time,  a  member  capable 
of  motion,  and  an  organ  of  sense  :  the  animal  can  not 
only  move  and  bend  it,  but  he  can  shorten,  lengthen, 
and  turn  it  all  ways.  The  extremity  of  this  trunk  ter* 
initiates  by  an  edge,  which  projects  above  like  a  fin- 
ger ;  it  is  with  this  sort  of  finger  that  the  Elephant  does 
whatever  we  do  with  ours ;  he  picks  up  from  the 
ground  the  smallest  pieces  of  money;  he  gathers  nuts 
and  flowers,  choosing  them  one  after  another ;  he  unties 
knots,  opens  and  shuts  doors,  turning  the  keys,  and 
bolts  them  ;  he  learns  to  draw  regular  characters  with 
an  instrument  as  small  as  a  pen. 

Although  the  Elephant  has  a  more  retentive  memory, 
and  more  intelligence  than  any  other  animal,  he  has 
the  brain  smaller  than  most  of  them  :  he  is  at  the  same 
time,  a  miracle  of  intelligence  and  a  monster  of  mat- 
ter; his  body  is  very  thick,  without  any  suppleness; 
the  neck  is  short  and  very  stiff;  the  head  small  and 
deformed  ;  the  ears  of  an  excessive  diameter  ;  and  the 
nose  is  of  a  still  more  disproportionate  length ;  the 
eyes  are  too  small,  as  well  as  the  mouth  ;  his  legs  are 
like  massive  pillars,  straight  and  stiff;  the  feet  BO 


108  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

Short  and  so  small,  that  he  .seems  to  have  none  ;  the 
skin  is  hard,  thick,  and  callous.  All  these  peculiarities 
are  remarkable,  as  all  of  them  are  exhibited  in  large  ; 
and  they  are  more  disagreeable  to  the  eye,  as  most  of 
their  deformities  have  no  other  example  in  the  crea- 
tion; no  other  animal  having  either  the  head,  the  feet, 
the  nose,  the  ears,  or  the  tusks,  made  or  placed  like 
those  of  the  Elephant. 

The  Elephant  is  yet  singular  in  the  conformation  of 
the  feet  and  the  texture  of  the  skin.  He  is  not  clothed 
with  hair  like  other  quadrupeds  ;  his  skin  is  bare ;  some 
bristles  issue  out  of  the  chops ;  they  are  very  thin  on 
the  body,  and  thicker  on  the  eyelids,  on  the  back  part 
of  the  head,  within  the  ears,  the  thighs,  and  the  legs. 
The  epidermis,  or  outside  skin,  hard  and  callous,  has 
two  sorts  of  wrinkles,  some  hollow,  other's  prominent 
In  man,  and  other  animals,  the  epidermis  sticks  every 
where  close  to  the  skin.  In  the  Elephant,  it  is  only 
fastened  by  some  points,  like  two  quilted  stuffs  one 
above  the  other.  This  epidermis  is  naturally  dry,  and 
soon  acquires  three  or  four  lines  of  thickness,  by  the 
crusts  which  are  generated  one  above  the  other  drying 
up.  It  is  this  thickness  of  the  epidermis  which  pro- 
duces the  elephantiasis,  or  dry  leprosy,  to  which  man, 
whose  skin  is  bare,  like  that  of  the  Elephant,  is  some- 
times subject.  This  distemper  is  very  common  to 
Elephants ;  and,  to  prevent  it,  the  Indians  take  care  to 
rub  them  often  with  oil,  and  to  preserve  the  skin  sup- 
ple by  frequent  bathing.  It  is  rather  tender  where  it 
is  not  callous ;  and  the  Elephant  is  so  fearful  of  the 
sting  of  the  flies,  that  he  not  only  employs  his  natural 
motions,  but  even  the  resources  of  his  intelligence,  to 
get  rid  of  them ;  he  makes  use  of  his  tail,  of  his  ears, 
of  his  trunk,  to  strike  them  ;  he  contracts  his  skin  wher- 
ever he  can,  and  squeezes  them  to  death  betwixt  his 
wringles.  His  skin  is  cleaned  by  rubbing  it  with  pumice 
stone*,  and  afterwards  pouring  on  it  perfumed  oil  and 
colours.  The  conformation  of  the  feet  and  legs  is  also 
singular,  and  different  in  the  Elephant  from  that  of 
other  animals ;  the  fore-legs  stem  to  be  higher  than 
those  behind,  yet  the  hind-legs  are  the  longest ;  they 
are  not  bent  like  the  hind-legs  of  a  horse  or  an  ox,  the 
thighs  of  which  seem  to  be  of  the  same  piece  with  tfie 
buttocks:  theii  knee  is  very  near  the  belly,  and  the 


THE    ELEPHANT.  109 

foot  so  < 'Ugh  and  so  long,  that  it  seems  to  make  a  great 
part  of  the  leg.  In  the  Elephant,  on  the  contrary,  this 
part  is  very  short,  and  touches  the  ground";  he  has  the 
knee,  like  man,  in  the  middle  of  the  leg,  not  near  the 
belly.  This  foot,  so  short  and  so  small,  is  divided  into 
five  toes,  which  are  all  covered  with  a  skin,  none  ap- 
pearing outwardly ;  one  sees  only  a  sort  of  claws,  the 
cnmber  of  which  varies,  though  that  of  the  toes  is  con- 
stant ;  for  he  has  always  five  to  each  foot,  and  com- 
monly also  five  claws ;  but  sometimes  he  has  no  more 
than  four,  or  even  three  ;  and,  in  this  case,  they  do  not 
correspond  exactly  with  the  extremity  of  the  fingers. 

The  ears  of  the  Elephant  are  very  long ;  his  tail  is 
not  longer  than  the  ear  ;  it  is  commonly  near  three  feet 
in  length  ;  it  is  rather  thin,  sharp,  and  garnished  at  the 
extremity  with  a  tuft  of  large,  black,  shining,  and  solid 
bristles  which  are  as  large  and  as  strong  as  wire;  and  a 
man  cannot  break  them  with  his  hands,  as  they  are 
elastic  and  pliant.  This  tuft  of  hair  is  an  ornament 
which  the  Negro  women  are  particularly  fond  of;  and 
they  attribute  to  it  some  particular  virtue,  according  to 
their  superstitious  notions  ;  an  Elephant's  tail  is  some- 
times sold  for  two  or  three  slaves ;  and  the  Negroes 
often  hazard  their  lives  to  cut  and  snatch  it  from  the 
living  animal. 

The  largest  Elephants  of  the  Indies,  and  the  eastern 
coast  of  Africa,  are  fourteen  feet  high ;  the  smallest, 
which  are  found  in  Senegal,  and  in  the  other  western 
parts  of  Africa,  are  not  above  ten  or  eleven  feet ;  and 
those  which  have  been  brought  young  into  Europe, 
were  not  so  high.  That  at  the  menagerie  at  Versailles, 
which  came  from  Congo,  was  but  seven  feet  and  a  half 
high  in  his  seventeenth  year.  During  thirteen  years 
that  he  lived  in  France,  he  did  not  grow  above  a  foot; 
so  that  at  the  age  of  four,  when  he  was  sent,  he  was 
only  six  feet  and  a  half  high. 

In  order  to  give  a  complete  idea  of  the  nature  and 
intelligence  of  this  singular  animal,  we  shall  insert  here 
some  particulars  communicated  by  the  Marquis  of 
Montrnirail.  The  Indians  make  use  of  the  Elephant 
to  carry  artillery  over  mountains ;  and  it  is  then,  that 
he  gives  the  greatest  proofs  of  his  intelligence.  He 
acts  in  the  following  manner  : — When  tho  oxen  yoked 
two  and  two,  endeavour  to  draw  up  the  mountain  the 
V«t.  II.— 10 


1 10  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

piece  of  artillery,  the  Elephant  pushes  the  breech  of 
the  gun  with  his  forehead  ;  and  at  every  effort  that  he 
makes,  he  supports  the  carriage  with  his  knee,  which 
he  places  near  the  wheel;  and  it  seems  as  if  he  under- 
stood what  was  said  to  him.  When  his  leader  employs 
him  in  some  hard  labour,  he  explains  what  is  his  work, 
and  the  reasons  which  ought  to  engage  him  to  obey 
If  the  Elephant  shows  an  aversion  to  comply,  the  cor- 
nac  (so  his  leader  is  called)  promises  to  give  him  ar- 
rack, or  something  he  likes  ;  then  the  animal  agrees  to 
every  thing  proposed  ;  but  it  is  dangerous  to  forfeit  his 
word  ;  more  than  one  cornac  has  been  the  victim  of 
his  deception.  An  instance  of  this  happened  in  the 
Deccan,  which  deserves  to  be  recorded  ;  and,  however 
incredible  it  may  appear,  it  is  exactly  true.  An  Ele- 
phant had  been  revenged  of  his  cornac  by  killing  him. 
His  wife,  witness^of  this  catastrophe,  took  her  two  chil- 
dren and  threw  them  to  the  feet  of  the  animal,  still 
furious;  telling  him,  Since  tkou  hast  killed  my  husband, 
take  also  my  life,  and  that  of  my  children.  The  Ele- 
phant stopped  short,  grew  calm,  and,  as  if  he  had  been 
moved  with  regret  and  compassion,  took  with  his  trunk 
the  largest  of  the  two  children,  placed  it  on  his  neck, 
adopted  him  for  his  cornac,  and  would  have  no  other 
leader. 

If  the  Elephant  is  vindictive,  he  is  no  less  grateful. 
A  soldier  of  Pondicherry,  who  commonly  carried  to 
one  of  these  animals  a  certain  measure  of  arrack  every 
time  that  he  received  his  pay,  having  one  day  drank 
more  than  common,  and  seeing  himself  pursued  by  the 
guard,  who  threatened  to  conduct  him  to  prison,  took 
refuge  under  the  Elephant,  and  slept  there.  It  was  in 
vain  that  the  guard  attempted  to  draw  him  out  from 
this  asylum  ;  the  Elephant  defended  him  with  his  trunk. 
The  next  day  the  soldier,  become  sober,  was  struck 
with  terror  to  lie  under  an  animal  of  this  enormous 
bulk.  The  Elephant,  who,  no  doubt,  perceived  his  con- 
sternation, caressed  him  with  his  trunk,  to  remove 
his  fears,  and  made  him  understand  that  he  might  de- 
part freely. 

The  Elephant  falls  sometimes  into  a  sort  of  frenzy, 
which  deprives  him  of  his  tractableness,  and  makes 
him  extremely  formidable.  This  commonly  happens 
•  t  the  season  when  the  male  is  desirous  of  the  female 


THE     ELKPHANT.  Ill 

Ho  is  commonly  killed  on  the  first  symptoms  of  mad* 
ness,  for  fear  of  mischief.*  Sometimes  he  is  tied  with 
heavy  chains,  in  hopes  that  he  will  come  to  himself; 
but  when  he  is  in  his  natural  state,  the  most  acute 
pains  cannot  engage  him  to  do  any  harm  to  persons 
who  have  not  offended  him.  An  Elephant,  furious 
with  the  wounds  which  he  had  received  in  battle  at 
Hambour,  ran  through  the  fields,  and  cried  out  in  a 
most  hideous  manner.  A  soldier,  who,  notwithstand- 
ing the  warning  of  his  companions,  could  not  fly, 
perhaps  because  he  was  wounded,  remained  in  his 
way  ;  the  Elephant  was  afraid  to  trample  him  under 
his  feet,  took  him  with  his  trunk,  placed  him  gently 
on  one  side  of  the  road,  and  continued  his  march. 
The  gentlemen  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  have  also 
communicated  to  us  some  facts  which  they  have  learned 
from  those  who  governed  the  Elephant  at  the  mena- 
gerie of  Versailles  ;  and  these  facts  seem  to  deserve  a 
place.  "  The  Elephant  seemed  to  discern  when  any 
person  made  a  fool  of  him ;  and  he  remembered  the 
affront  to  be  revenged  of  it  the  first  opportunity. 
Having  been  balked  by  a  man,  who  feigned  to  throw 
something  into  his  mouth,  he  struck  him  with  his  trunk, 
and  broke  two  of  his  ribs;  afterwards  he  trampled  him 
under  his  feet,  and  broke  one  of  his  legs ;  and  having 
kneeled  down,  he  tried  to  thrust  his  tusks  into  the 
man's  belly,  which,  however,  went  into  the  ground  on 
both  sides  of  the  thigh,  which  was  not  wounded.  He 
bruised  another  man,  by  squeezing  him  against  the 
wall,  for  a  similar  mockery.  A  painter  was  desirous 
to  draw  him  in  an  extraordinary  attitude,  which  was, 
to  keep  his  trunk  erect,  and  the  mouth  open.  The 
servant  of  the  painter,  to  make  him  remain  in  that 
attitude,  threw  fruits  into  his  mouth ;  but  afterwards 
he  deceived  him,  which  provoked  his  indignation ; 
and,  as  if  he  had  known  that  the  cause  of  this  decep- 
tion was  the  painter's  desire  of  having  him  drawn,  he 
was  revenged  on  the  master,  by  throwing  with  his 
trunk  a  great  quantity  of  water,  which  spoiled  the 
paper  intended  for  his  design." 

He  made  less  use  of  his  strength  than  of  his  dex- 

*  Two  instances  have  happened,  within  a  few  years,  one  at  Geneva,  and  one 
at  Exeter  Changs,  in  which  it  became  necessary  to  destroy  the  unfortunat* 
animal 


112  NATURAL  HISTORY 

terity,  which  was  such,  that  he  untied,  with  great 
facility,  a  double  leather  string  which  fastened  his  leg, 
with  his  mouth  untying  it  from  the  buckle's  long,  and 
after  this  buckle  had  a  small  string  twisted  around  it, 
with  divers  knots,  he  untied  them  all  without  breaking 
any  thing.  One  night,  that  he  had  thus  disentangled 
himself  from  his  leather  strings,  he  broke  open,  so 
dexterously,  the  door  of  his  lodge,  that  his  governor 
was  not  waked  by  the  noise.  He  went  thence  into 
divers  yards  of  the  menagerie,  breaking  open  the  doors 
that  were  shut,  and  pulling  down  the  stone  work,  when 
the  passage  was  too  narrow  for  him  ;  and  thus  he  went 
into  the  lodges  of  other  animals,  terrifying  them  to 
such  a  degree,  that  they  ran  away  to  hide  themselves 
in  the  most  remote  part  of  the  park.  In  fine,  to  omit 
nothing  of  what  may  contribute  to  make  all  the  natural 
faculties  of  this  animal  perfectly  known,  as  well  as  his 
acquired  knowledge,  we  shall  add  some  facts,  extracted 
from  the  most  credible  authors. 

Of  five  Elephants  (says  Tavernier),  which  hunters 
had  taken,  three  escaped,  although  their  bodies  and 
their  legs  were  fastened  with  chains  and  ropes.  These 
men  told  us  a  very  surprising  circumstance,  if  we  can 
believe  it,  which  is,  that  when  once  these  Elephants 
have  been  caught,  and  eluded  the  snares  of  their  ad- 
versaries, if  they  are  compelled  to  go  into  the  woods, 
they  are  mistrustful,  and  break  with  their  trunk  a  large 
branch,  with  which  they  sound  the  ground  before  they 
put  their  foot  upon  it,  to  discover  if  there  are  any  holes 
on  their  passage,  not  to  be  caught  a  second  time  ; 
which  made  the  hunters,  who  related  this  singularity, 
despair  of  catching  again  the  three  Elephants  who 
had  escaped.  We  saw  the  other  two  which  they  had 
caught;  each  of  them  was  betwixt  two  tame  Elephants; 
and  around  the  wild  Elephants  were  six  men,  holding 
spears.  They  spoke  to  these  animals  in  presenting 
them  something  to  eat,  and  telling  them,  in  their  lan- 
guage, Take  this,  and  eat  it.  They  had  small  bundles 
of  hay,  bits  of  black  sugar,  or  rice  boiled  in  water,  with 
pepper.  When  the  wild  Elephant  refused  to  do  what 
he  was  ordered,  the  men  commanded  the  tame  Ele 
phar.ts  to  beat  him,  which  they  did  immediately ;  one 
striking  his  forehead  with  his ;  and  when  he  seemed 
to  aiir,  at  revenge  against  his  aggressor  another  struck 


CAMEL.      P.  118. 


TUB   RHINOCEROS.  113 

him ;  so  that  the  poor  wild  Elephant  peroen  fd  he  ha«* 
nothir.g  to  do,  but  to  obey. 

I  have  observed  several  times  (says  Edward  Terry), 
that  the  Elephant  does  many  things  which  are  rather 
an  indication  of  human  reasoning,  than  a  simple,  natu- 
ral instinct.  He  does  whatever  his  master  commar da 
him.  If  he  orders  him  to  frighten  any  person,  he  ad- 
vances towards  him  with  the  same  fury  as  if  he  would 
tear  him  to  pieces  ;  and  when  he  comes  near  him,  he 
stops  short,  without  doing  him  any  harm.  If  the  mas- 
ter wishes  to  affront  another,  he  speaks  to  the  Elephant, 
who  takes  with  his  trunk  dirty  water,  and  throws  it  at 
his  face.  The  Mogul  has  Elephants  for  the  execution 
of  criminals  condemned  to  death.  If  their  leader  bids 
them  to  dispatch  these  wretches  soon,  they  tear  them 
to  pieces  in  a  moment  with  their  feet :  on  the  contrary, 
if  he  commands  them  to  make  these  criminals  languish, 
they  break  their  bones  one  after  another,  and  make 
them  suffer  torments  as  cruel  as  those  of  the  wheel. 


THE    RHINOCEROS. 

AFTER  the  elephant  the  Rhinoceros  is  the  most 
powerful  of  all  quadrupeds.  He  is  at  least  twelve  feet 
in  length,  from  the  extremity  of  the  snout  to  the  tail ; 
six  or  seven  feet  in  height ;  and  the  circumference  of 
his  body  is  very  near  equal  to  his  length  ;  he  is  there- 
fore like  the  elephant  in  bulk  ;  and  if  he  appears  much 
smaller,  it  is  because  his  legs  are  much  shorter  in  pro- 
portion to  those  of  the  elephant ;  but  he  differs  widely 
from  that  sagacious  animal,  in  his  natural  faculties,  and 
his  intelligence  ;  having  received  from  Nature  merely 
what  she  grants  in  common  to  all  animals  ;  deprived 
of  all  feeling  in  the  skin,  having  no  organ  answering 
the  purpose  of  hands,  nor  distinct  for  the  sense  of 
feeling,  he  has  nothing  instead  of  a  trunk,  but  a  move- 
able  upper  lip,  in  which  centres  all  his  dexterity.  He 
is  superior  to  other  animals  only  in  strength,  size,  and 
the  offensive  weapon  which  he  carries  upon  his  nose, 
and  which  is  peculiar  to  him.  This  weapon  is  a  very 
hard  horn,  solid  throughout,  and  placed  more  advan 
ageously  than  the  horns  of  ruminating  animals  ;  these 
only  protect  the  superior  parts  of  the  head  and  neck, 
whilst  the  horn  of  the  Rhinoceros  defends  all  the 
10* 


I!4  NATURAL    HIS1     KY. 

ext.rior  parts  of  the  snout,  and  preserves  the  muzzle*, 
the  mouth,  and  the  face  from  insult ;  so  that  the  tiger 
attacks  more  readily  the  elephant,  in  seizing  his  trunk, 
than  the  Rhinoceros,  which  he  cannot  attack  in  front, 
without  running  the  danger  of  being  killed  ;  for  the 
body  and  limbs  are  covered  with  an  impenetrable  skin 
and  this  animal  fears  neither  the  claws  of  the  tiger  noi 
the  lion,  nor  even  the  fire  and  weapons  of  the  hunts- 
man; his  skin  is  a  dark  leather,  of  the  same  colour, 
but  thicker  and  harder  than  that  of  the  elephant ;  he 
does  not  feel  the  sting  of  flies ;  he  cannot  contract  his 
skin ;  it  is  only  folded  by  large  wrinkles  on  the  neck, 
the  shoulders,  and  the  buttocks,  to  facilitate  the  motions 
of  the  legs,  which  are  massive,  and  terminate  in  large 
feet,  armed  with  three  great  claws.  The  skin  of  the 
two-horned  Rhinoceros  is  much  more  easily  penetrable 
than  that  of  the  single-horned.  He  has  the  head  larger  in 
proportion  than  the  elephant;  but  the  eye  still  smaller, 
which  he  never  opens  entirely,  and  they  are  so  situated 
that  the  animal  can  see  only  what  is  in  a  direct  line 
before  him.  The  upper  jaw  projects  above  the  lower; 
and  the  upper  lip  has  a  motion,  and  may  be  lengthened 
six  or  seven  inches ;  it  is  terminated  by  a  sharp  edge, 
which  enables  this  animal,  with  more  facility  than  other 
quadrupeds,  to  gather  branches  and  grass,  and  divide 
them  into  handfuls,  as  the  elephant  does  with  his  trunk. 
This  muscular  and  flexible  lip  is  a  sort  of  trunk  very 
incomplete,  but  which  is  equally  calculated  for  strength 
and  dexterity.  Instead  of  those  long  ivory  teeth  which 
form  the  tusks  of  the  elephant,  the  Rhinoceros  has  his 
powerful  horn,  and  two  strong  incisive  teeth  in  each 
jaw.  These  incisive  teeta,  which  the  elephant  has 
not,  are  placed  at  a  great  distance  from  each  other  in 
the  jaws  of  the  Rhinoceros.  He  has,  besides  these, 
twenty-four  smaller  teeth,  six  on  each  side  of  each  jaw. 
His  ears  are  always  erect ;  they  are,  for  the  form,  like 
those  of  a  hog,  only  they  are  larger  in  proportion  to 
his  body ;  they  are  the  only  hairy  parts  of  it.  The 
end  of  the  tail  is,  like  that  of  the  elephant,  furnished 
with  a  tuft  of  large  bristles,  very  hard  and  very  solid. 
Huge  and  seemingly  unwieldy  as  the  Rhinoceros  is 
he  has  the  power  of  running  with  very  great  swiftness 
The  Rhinoceros  which  arrived  in  London  in  1739 
had  b«  ?n  sent  from  Bengal.  Although  he  was  young 


TH£    RHINOCEROS.  ll5 

(being  but  \vo  years  old),  the  expenses  of  his  food, 
and  his  voyage,  amounted  to  near  one  thousand  pounds 
sterling ;  he  was  fed  with  rice,  sugar,  and  hay.  They 
gave  him  daily  seven  pounds  of  rice,  mixed  with  three 
pounds  of  sugar;  which  they  divided  into  three  parts. 
He  had  also  a  great  quantity  of  hay  and  green  grass, 
to  which  he  gave  the  preference.  His  drink  was 
nothing  but  water,  of  which  he  drank  a  great  quantity 
at  once.  He  was  of  a  quiet  disposition,  and  let  his 
manager  touch  him  on  all  the  parts  of  his  body.  He 
grew  unruly  when  he  was  struck,  or  was  hungry ;  and 
in  both  cases  he  could  not  be  appeased  without  giving 
him  something  to  eat.  When  he  was  angry,  he  leaped 
forward  with  impetuosity  to  a  great  height,  beating 
furiously  the  walls  with  his  head  ;  which  he  did  with 
a  prodigious  quickness,  notwithstanding  his  heavy 
appearance. 

This  Rhinoceros,  when  he  was  two  years  old,  was 
not  much  higher  than  a  young  cow  who  has  not  yet 
borne  young ;  but  his  body  was  very  long,  and  very 
thick.  The  tongue  of  this  young  Rhinoceros  was  soft, 
like  that  of  a  calf;  his  eyes  had  no  vivacity;  they  are 
like  those  of  a  hog  in  form,  and  were  placed  very  low  ; 
that  is,  nearer  the  opening  of  the  nostrils. 

Mr.  Parsons  says,  that  he  has  observed  a  very  par- 
ticular quality  in  this  animal  ;  he  hearkened  with  a  sort 
of  continual  attention  to  any  noise  ;  so  that,  if  he  was 
even  sleepy,  employed  in  eating,  or  in  satisfying  other 
urgent  wants,  he  started  instantly,  raised  up  his  head, 
and  gave  attention  till  the  noise  had  ceased. 

It  is  certain  that  some  Rhinoceroses  have  but  one 
*horn  on  the  nose,  and  others  two.  In  the  two-horned 
Rhinoceros  one  of  the  horns  is  smaller  than  the  other, 
and  is  situated  above  it.  When  the  animal  is  quiescent 
these  horns  are  loose,  but  they  become  fixed  when  it 
is  irritated.  There  are  single  horns  of  three  feet  and 
a  half,  and  perhaps  of  more  than  four  feet  in  length, 
by  six  or  seven  inches  in  diameter  at  the  basis ;  there 
are  also  double  horns  which  are  but  two  feet  in  length. 
Commonly,  these  horns  are  brown,  or  olive  colour; 
yet  some  are  gray,  and  even  white.  They  have  only 
a  small  conce  -ity,  in  form  of  a  cup,  at  their  basis,  by 
which  they  ar;  fastened  to  the  skin  of  the  nose  ;  the 
remaining  part  of  the  horn  is  solid,  and  very  hard.  It 


116  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

is  with  this  weapon  that  the  Rhinoceros  is  aid  to  attack, 
and  sometimes  to  wound  mortally,  the  largest  ele 
phants,  whose  long  legs  give  to  the  Rhinoceros,  who 
has  them  much  shorter,  an  opportunity  of  striking  them 
with  his  horn  under  the  belly,  where  the  skin  is  ten- 
der, and  more  penetrable  ;  but  when  he  misses  the  first 
blow,  the  elephant  throws  him  on  the  ground,  and  kills 
him. 

The  horn  of  the  Rhinoce  os  is  more  valued  by  the 
Indians  than  the  ivory  of  the  elephant ;  not  so  mucli  on 
account  of  the  matter,  of  which  they  make  several  works 
with  the  chisel,  but  for  its  substance,  to  which  they 
attribute  divers  virtues,  and  medicinal  properties.  The 
white  ones,  as  the  most  rare,  are  also  those  which  they 
value  most.  Cups  made  of  this  horn  are  used  to  drink 
out  of  by  many  of  the  Indian  princes,  under  the  erro- 
neous idea  that  when  any  poisonous  fluid  is  put  into 
them,  the  liquor  will  ferment,  and  run  over  the  top. 

The  Rhinoceros,  without  being  ferocious  or  carni 
vorous,  or  even  very  wild,  is  nevertheless  untameable. 
He  is  of  the  nature  of  a  hog,  blunt  and  grunting,  with- 
out intellect,  without  sentiment,  and  without  tractable- 
ness.  These  animals  are  also,  like  the  hog,  very  much 
inclined  to  wallow  in  the  mire  ;  they  like  damp  and 
marshy  places,  and  seldom  leave  the  banks  of  rivers. 
They  are  found  in  Asia  and  Africa,  in  Bengal,  Siam, 
Laos,  in  the  Mogul  dominions,  in  Sumatra,  in  Java,  in 
Abyssinia,  and  about  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  But, 
in  general,  the  species  is  not  so  numerous,  or  so  uni- 
versally spread,  as  that  of  the  elephant.  The  female 
brings  forth  but  one  young,  and  at  a  great  distance  of 
time.  In  the  first  month  the  Rhinoceros  is  not  much 
bigger  than  a  large  dog  ;  he  has  not,  when  first  brought 
forth,  the  horn  on  the  nose,  although  the  rudiment  of 
it  is  seen  in  the  foetus.  When  he  is  two  years  old,  this 
horn  is  only  an  inch  long  ;  and  in  his  sixth  year,  it  is 
about  ten  inches;  and  as  some  of  these  horns  have  been 
seen  very  near  four  feet  long,  it  seems  they  grow  till 
his  middle  age,  and  perhaps  during  the  whole  life  of 
the  animal,  which  must  be  long,  since  the  Rhinoceros 
described  by  Mr.  Parsons  was  not  come  to  half  his 
growth  when  .ie  was  two  years  old  ;  which  makes  it 
probable,  tha  this  animal  lives,  like  a  mar,  seventy  or 
eighty  years 


THE  RHINOCEROS.  117 

Without  being  iceful,  as  the  elephant,  the  Rhinoce- 
ros is  very  hurtful,  by  the  prodigious  devastation  which 
he  makes  in  the  fields.  The  skin  is  the  most  valuable 
thing  of  this  animal.  His  flesh  is  excellent,  according 
to  the  taste  of  Indians  and  Negroes.  Kolben  says,  he 
kas  often  eaten  it  with  great  pleasure.  His  skin  makes 
the  best  and  hardest  leather  in  the  world  ;  and  not  only 
his  horn,  but  all  the  other  parts  of  his  body,  and  even 
his  blood,  his  urine,  and  his  excrements,  are  esteemed 
as  antidotes  against  poison,  or  a  remedy  against  seve- 
ral diseases  ;  probably,  however,  all  those  virtues  are 
imaginary. 

The  Rhinoceros  feeds  upon  herbs,  thistles,  prickles, 
shrubs,  and  he  prefers  this  wild  food  to  the  sweet  pas- 
ture of  the  verdant  meadows  ;  he  is  very  fond  of  sugar- 
canes,  and  eats  all  sorts  of  corn.  Having  no  taste 
whatever  for  flesh,  he  does  not  molest  small  animals, 
neither  fears  the  large  ones,  living  in  peace  with  them 
all,  even  with  the  tiger,  who  often  accompanies  him, 
without  daring  to  attack  him  :  I  doubt,  therefore,  whe- 
ther the  battles  betwixt  the  elephant  and  the  Rhinoce- 
ros have  any  foundation  ;  they  must,  however,  seldom 
happen,  since  there  is  no  motive  for  war  on  either  side  ; 
and,  besides,  no  sort  of  antipathy  has  been  observed 
between  these  animals.  Some  have  even  been  seen  in 
captivity,  living  quietly  together,  without  giving  offence 
or  provocation  to  each  other. 

The  Rhinoceroses  do  not  herd  together,  nor  march 
in  troops,  like  the  elephant ;  they  are  wilder,  and  more 
solitary,  and  perhaps  more  difficult  to  be  hunted  and 
subdued  ;  they  never  attack  men  unless  provoked  ;  but 
then  they  become  furious,  and  are  very  formidable  :  the 
steel  of  Damascus,  the  scimitars  of  Japan,  cannot  make 
an  incision  in  his  skin ;  the  darts  and  lances  cannot 
pierce  him  through :  his  skin  even  resists  the  balls  of 
the  musket ;  those  of  lead  become  flat  upon  his  leather, 
and  the  iron  ingots  cannot  penetrate  through  it :  the 
only  places  absolutely  penetrable  in  this  body  armed 
with  a  cuirass,  are  the  belly,  the  eyes,  and  round  the 
ears ;  so  that  huntsmen,  instead  of  attacking  this  ani- 
mal standing,  follow  him  at  a  distance  by  his  track,  and 
wait  to  approach  him  at  the  time  that  he  sleeps  or  rests 
himself.  There  is  in  the  King  of  France's  cabinet  a 
fcetus  of  a  Rh'noceros,  which  was  sent  from  the  island 


118  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

of  Java,  and  extracted  from  the  body  of  the  mother. 
It  was  said,  in  a  memorial  which  accompanied  this 
present,  that  twenty-eight  huntsmen  had  assembled  to 
attack  this  Rhinoceros  ;  they  had  followed  her  far  off 
for  some  days,  one  or  two  men  walking  now  and  then 
before,  to  reconnoitre  the  position  of  the  animal.  By 
these  means  they  surprised  her  when  she  was  asleep, 
and  came  so  near  in  silence,  that  they  discharged,  all 
at  once,  their  twenty-eight  guns  into  the  lower  parts 
of  her  belly. 

We  have  seen,  that  this  animal  has  a  good  ear;  it  is 
also  affirmed,  that  he  has  the  sense  of  smelling  in  per- 
fection ;  but  it  is  pretended,  he  has  not  a  good  eye, 
and  sees  only  before  him :  that  his  eyes  are  so  small, 
and  placed  so  low,  and  so  obliquely,  they  have  so  lit- 
tle vivacity  and  motion,  that  this  fact  needs  no  other 
confirmation.  His  voice,  when  he  is  calm,  resembles 
the  grunting  of  a  hog  ;  and  when  he  is  angry,  his  sharp 
cries  are  heard  at  a  great  distance.  Though  he  lives 
uponregetables,  he  does  not  ruminate  ;  thus,  it  is  pro- 
bable, that,  like  the  elephant,  he  has  but  one  stomach, 
and  very  large  bowels,  which  supply  the  office  of  the 
paunch.  His  consumption,  though  very  great,  is  not 
comparable  to  that  of  the  elephant ;  and  it  appears,  by 
the  thickness  of  his  skin,  that  he  loses  less  than  the 
elephant  by  his  perspiration. 

THE  CAMEL  AND  THE  DROMEDARY. 

THESE  two  names  do  not  include  two  different  species, 
but  only  indicate  two  distinct  breeds,  subsisting  from 
time  immemorial,  in  the  Camel  species.  The  principal, 
and,  as  may  be  said,  the  only  perceptible  character  by 
which  they  differ,  consists  in  the  Camel's  bearing  two 
bunches,  or  protuberances,  and  the  Dromedary  only 
one.  The  latter  is  also  much  less,  and  not  so  strong 
as  the  Camel;  but  both  of  them  herd  and  procreate 
together;  and  the  production  from  this  cross  breed  is 
more  vigorous,  and  of  greater  value,  than  the  others. 

This  mongrel  issue  from  the  Dromedary  and  the 
Camel  forms  a  secondary  breed,  which  also  mix  and 
multiply  with  the  first ;  so  thai  in  this  species,  as  well 
as  in  that  of  other  domestic  animals,  there  are  to  be 
found  a  great  variety,  according  to  the  difference  of  the 


THE    CAMEL  119 

climates  they  are  produced  in.  Aristoite  has  judi- 
ciously marked  the  two  principal  breeds ;  the  first 
(which  has  two  bunches,)  under  the  name  of  the  BAO 
TRIAN  CAMEL  ;  and  the  second,  under  that  of  the  ARA- 
BIAN CAMEL  ;  the  first  are  called  TURKMAN,  and  the 
others  ARABIAN  CAMELS.  This  division  still  subsists, 
with  this  difference  only,  that  it  appears,  since  the 
discovery  of  tljose  parts  of  Africa  and  Asia  which  were 
unknown  to  the  ancients,  that  the  Dromedary  is,  with- 
out comparison,  more  numerous  and  more  universal 
than  the  Camel  ;  the  last  being  seldom  to  be  found  in 
any  other  place  than  in  Turkey,  and  in  some  other 
parts  of  the  Levant ;  while  the  Dromedary,  more  com- 
mon than  any  other  beast  of  his  size,  is  to  be  found  in 
all  the  northern  parts  of  Africa,  in  Egypt,  in  Persia,  in 
South  Tartary,  and  in  all  the  northern  parts  of  India. 

The  Dromedary,  therefore,  occupies  an  immense  tract 
of  land,  while  the  Camel  is  confined  to  a  small  spot  of 
ground;  the  first  inhabits  hot  and  parched  regions;  the 
second  a  more  moist  and  temperate  soil.  The  Camel 
appears  to  be  a  native  of  Arabia ;  for  it  is  not  only  the 
country  where  there  is  the  greatest  number,  but  it  is 
also  best  accommodated  to  their  nature.  Arabia  is 
the  dryest  country  in  the  world  ;  and  the  Camel  is  the 
least  thirsty  of  all  animals,  and  can  pass  seven  days 
without  any  drink.  The  land  is  almost  in  every  part 
dry  and  sandy  :  the  feet  of  the  Camel  are  formed  to 
travel  in  sand  ;  while  on  the  contrary,  he  cannot  sup- 
port himself  in  moist  and  slippery  ground.  Herbage  and 
pasture  are  wanting  to  this  country,  as  is  the  ox,  whose 
place  is  supplied  by  the  Camel. 

The  Arabs  regard  the  Camel  as  a  present  from  hea- 
ven, a  sacred  animal,  without  whose  aid  they  could 
neither  subsist,  trade,  nor  travel.  It  has  been  emphati- 
cally called  the  ship  of  the  desert.  Its  milk  is  their 
common  nourishment ;  they  likewise  eat  its  flesh,  es- 
pecially that  of  the  young  ones,  which  they  reckon 
rery  good.  The  hair  of  these  animals,  which  is  fine 
and  soft,  is  renewed  every  year,  and  serves  them  to 
make  stuffs  for  their  clothing  and  their  furniture.  Bless- 
ed with  their  Camels,  they  not  only  want  for  nothing, 
but  they  even  fear  nothing.  With  them  they  can,  in  a 
single  day.  place  a  tract  of  desert,  of  fifty  miles,  be- 
tween them  and  their  enemies,  and  all  the  armies  in  the 


120  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

world  would  perish  in  the  pursuit  of  a  tro*p  of  Arabs 
Let  any  one  figure  to  himself  a  country  without  ver- 
dure, and  without  water,  a  burning  sun,  a  sky  always 
clear,  plains  covered  with  sand,  and  mountains  still 
more  parched,  over  which  the  eye  extends,  and  the  sight 
is  lost,  without  being  stopped  by  a  single  living  object; 
a  dead  earth,  flayed  (if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression) 
by  the  winds,  which  presents  nothing  but  bones  of  dead 
bodies,  flints  scattered  here  and  there,  rocks  standing 
upright  or  overthrown  ;  a  desert  entirely  naked,  where 
the  traveller  never  drew  his  breath  under  the  friendly 
shade ;  where  he  has  nothing  to  accompany  him,  and 
where  nothing  reminds  him  of  living  nature  ;  an  abso- 
lute void  a  thousand  times  more  frightful  than  that  ot 
the  forest,  whose  verdure,  in  some  measure,  diminishes 
the  horrors  of  solitude  ;  an  immensity  which  he  in  vain 
attempts  to  overrun;  for  hunger,  thirst,  and  burning 
heat,  press  on  him  every  weary  moment  that  remains 
between  despair  and  death. 

Nevertheless,  the  Arab  has  found  means  to  surmount 
these  difficulties,  and  even  to  appropriate  to  himself 
these  gaps  of  Nature ;  they  serve  him  for  an  asylum  ; 
they  secure  his  repose,  and  maintain  him  in  his  inde- 
pendence. But  why  does  not  man  know  how  to  make 
use  of  them  without  abuse?  This  same  Arab,  free,  in- 
dependent, tranquil,  and  even  rich,  instead  of  respect- 
ing those  deserts  as  the  ramparts  of  his  liberty,  soils 
them  with  guilt :  he  traverses  over  them  to  the  neigh- 
bouring nations,  and  robs  them  of  their  slaves  and  gold 
he  makes  use  of  them  to  exercise  his  robberies,  which, 
unfortunately  he  enjoys  more  than  his  liberty  ;  for  his 
enterprises  are  almost  always  successful :  notwith- 
standing the  caution  of  his  neighbours,  and  the  supe- 
riority of  their  forces,  he  escapes  their  pursuit,  and, 
unpunished,  bears  away  all  that  he  has  plundered 
them  of. 

An  Arab  wno  destines  himself  to  this  business  of 
land  piracy,  early  hardens  himself  to  the  fatigue  of 
travelling :  he  accustoms  himself  to  pass  many  days 
without  sleep  ;  to  suffer  hunger,  thirst,  and  heat ;  at 
the  same  time  he  instructs  his  Camels,  he  brings  them 
up,  and  exercises  them  in  the  same  method.  A  few 
days  after  they  are  born,  he  bends  their  legs  under 
their  bellies,  and  constrains  them  to  remain  on  the 


THE    CAMEL.  121 

earth,  and  loads  them,  in  this  situation,  with  a  weight 
as  heavy  as  they  usually  carry,  which  he  only  relieves 
them  from  to  give  them  a  heavier.  Instead  of  suffering 
them  to  feed  every  hour,  and  drink  even  when  they 
are  thirsty,  he  regulates  their  repasts,  and,  by  degrees, 
increases  them  to  greater  distances  between  each  meal, 
diminishing  also,  at  the  same  time,  the  quantity  of  their 
food.  When  they  are  a  little  stronger,  he  exercises 
them  to  the  course  ;  he  excites  them  by  the  example 
of  horses,  and  endeavours  to  render  them  also  as  swift, 
and  more  robust ;  at  length,  when  he  is  assured  of  the 
strength  and  swiftness  of  his  Camels,  and  that  they 
can  endure  hunger  and  thirst,  he  then  loads  them  with 
whatever  is  necessary  for  his  and  their  subsistence. 
He  departs  with  them,  arrives  unexpectedly  at  the 
borders  of  the  desert,  stops  the  first  passenger  he  sees, 
pillages  the  straggling  habitations,  and  loads  his  Camels 
with  his  booty.  If  he  is  pursued  he  is  obliged  to  ex- 
pedite his  retreat;  and  then  he  displays  all  his  own 
and  his  animals'  talents.  Mounted  on  one  of  his 
swiftest  Camels,  he  conducts  the  troop,  makes  them 
travel  day  and  night,  almost  without  stopping  either  to 
eat  or  drink.  In  this  manner  he  easily  passes  over 
three  hundred  miles  in  eight  days  ;  and,  during  all 
that  time  of  fatigue  and  travel,  he  never  unloads  his 
Camels,  and  only  allows  them  an  hour  of  repose,'  and  a 
ball  of  paste  each  day.  They  often  run  in  this  manner 
for  eight  or  nine  days  without  meeting  with  any  water, 
during  which  time  they  never  drink ;  and  when  by  chance 
they  find  a  pool  at  some  distance  from  their  route;  they 
smell  the  water  at  more  than  half  a  mile  before  they 
come  to  it.  Thirst  now  makes  them  redouble  their 
pace  ;  and  then  they  drink  enough  for  all  the  time 
past,  and  for  as  long  to  come;  for  often  they  are  many- 
weeks  in  travelling ;  and  their  time  of  abstinence  en- 
dures as  long  as  they  are  upon  their  journey. 

In  Turkey,  Persia,  Egypt,  Arabia,  Barbary,  &c. 
they  use  no  other  carriage  for  their  merchandise  than 
Camels,  which  is,  of  all  their  conveyances,  the  most 
ready,  and  the  cheapest.  Merchants,  and  other  travel- 
lers, assemble  themselves  in  caravans,  to  avoid  the 
insults  and  piracies  of  the  Arabs.  These  caravans  are 
often  very  numerous,  and  often  composed  of  more 
Camels  than  men.  Every  one  of  these  Camels  is 
VOL.  II.— 11 


123  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

loaded  according  to  his  strength  ;  and  he  is  so  sensible 
of  it  himself,  that  when  a  heavier  load  than  usual  is 
put  upon  him,  he  refuses  it,  by  constantly  remaining 
in  his  resting  posture,  till  he  is  lightened  of  some  of 
his  burden. 

Large  and  strong  Camels  generally  carry  a  thousand, 
and  even  twelve  hundred  weight;  the  smaller  only  six 
or  seven  hundred.  In  these  commercial  journeys,  they 
do  not  travel  quick  ;  and,  as  the  route  is  often  seven 
or  eight  hundred  miles,  they  regulate  their  stages ; 
they  only  walk,  and  go  every  day  ten  or  twelve  miles  : 
they  are  disburthened  every  evening,  and  are  suffered 
to  feed  at  liberty.  If  they  are  in  a  part  of  the  country 
where  there  is  pasture,  they  eat  enough  in  one  hour 
to  serve  them  twenty-four,  and  to  ruminate  on  during 
the  whole  night ;  bat  they  seldom  meet  with  pastures, 
and  this  delicate  food  is  not  necessary  for  them  :  they 
even  seem  to  prefer  wormwood,  thistles,  nettles,  furze, 
and  other  thorny  vegetables,  to  the  milder  herbs ;  and 
so  long  as  they  can  find  plants  to  brouse  on,  they  very 
easily  live  without  any  drink. 

This  facility  with  which  they  abstain  so  long  from 
drinking,  is  not  pure  habit,  but  rather  an  effect  of  their 
formation.  Independent  of  the  four  stomachs  which 
are  commonly  found  in  ruminating  animals,  the  Camel 
is  possessed  of  a  fifth  bag,  which  serves  him  as  a  re- 
servoir to  retain  the  water.  This  fifth  stomach  is 
peculiar  to  the  Camel.  It  is  of  so  vast  a  capacity,  as 
to  contain  a  great  quantity  of  liquor,  where  it  remains 
without  corruption,  or  without  the  other  aliments  being 
able  to  mix  with  it.  When  the  animal  is  pressed  with 
thirst,  or  has  occasion  to  dilute  the  dry  food,  and  to 
macerate  it  for  rumination,  he  causes  a  part  of  this 
water  to  reascend  into  the  stomach,  and  even  to  the 
throat,  by  a  simple  contraction  of  the  muscles. 

This  animal  bears  about  him  all  the  marks  of  slavery 
and  pain  ;  below  the  -breast,  upon  the  sternum,  is  a 
thick  and  large  callosity,  as  tough  as  horn  ;  the  like 
substance  appears  upon  the  joints  of  the  legs;  and 
although  these  callosities  are  to  be  met  with  in  every 
animal,  yet  they  plainly  prove  that  they  are  not  natu- 
ral," but  produced  by  an  excessive  constraint,  and  pain, 
as  appears  from  their  being  often  found  filled  with  pus. 
It  is  therefore  evident,  that  this  deformity  proceeds 


THE    CAMEL.  123 

from  the  custom  to  wnich  these  animals  are  Lonstrained, 
of  forcing  them,  when  quite  young,  to  lie  upon  their 
stomach  with  their  legs  bent  under  them,  and  in  that 
cramped  posture  to  bear  not  only  the  weight  of  their 
body,  but  also  the  burdens  with  which  they  are  laden. 
These  poor  animals  must  suffer  a  great  deal,  as  they 
make  lamentable  cries,  especially  when  they  are  over- 
loaded ;  and,  notwithstanding  they  are  continually 
abused,  they  have  as  much  spirit  as  docility.  At  the 
lirst  sign  they  bend  their  legs  under  their  bodies,  and 
kneeling  upon  the  ground,  they  are  unloaded,  without 
the  trouble  of  lifting  up  the  load  to  a  great  height, 
which  must  happen,  Avere  they  to  stand  upright.  As 
soon  as  they  are  loaded,  they  raise  themselves  up  again 
without  any  assistance  or  support;  and  the  conductor, 
mounted  on  one  of  them,  precedes  the  whole  troop, 
who  follow  him  in  the  same  pace  as  he  leads.  They 
have  neither  need  of  whip  or  spur  to  excite  them  :  but, 
when  they  begin  to  be  fatigued,  their  conductors  sup- 
port their  spirits,  or  rather  charm  their  weariness,  by 
a  song,  or  the  sound  of  some  instrument.  When  they 
want  to  prolong  the  route,  or  double  the  day's  journey, 
they  give  them  an  hour's  rest;  after  which,  renewing 
their  song,  they  again  proceed  on  their  Avay  for  many 
hours  more ;  and  the  singing  continues  until  the  time 
that  they  stop.  Then  the  Camels  again  kneel  down 
on  the  earth,  to  be  relieved  from  the  burden,  by  the 
cords  being  untied,  and  the  bales  rolled  down  on  each 
side.  They  remain  in  this  cramped  posture,  with  their 
belly  couched  upon  the  earth,  and  sleep  in  the  midst 
of  their  baggage,  which  is  tied  on  again  the  next  morn- 
xing  with  as  much  readiness  and  facility  as  it  was  untied 
befor^  they  went  to  rest.  These  are,  however,  not 
their  only  inconveniences  :  they  are  prepared  for  all- 
these  evils  by  one  still  greater  ;  by  mutilating  them 
by  castration  while  young.  They  leave  but  one  male 
for  eight  or  ten  females  ;  and  all  the  labouring  Camels 
are  commonly  gelt :  they  are  weaker,  without  doubt, 
than  those  which  are  not  castrated  ;  but  they  are  more 
tractable  than  the  others,  who  are  not  only  indocile, 
but  almost  furious,  in  the  rutting  time,  which  remains 
forty  days,  and  which  happens  every  spring  of  the 
year.  The  female  goes  with  young  exactly  a  year, 
and,  like  all  other  large  animals,  oroduces  but  one  at 


134  NATURAL  U1STOKV. 

a  birth.  They  have  great  plenty  ol  milk,  which  is 
thick,  and  nourishing  even  for  the  human  species,  if 
it  is  mixed  with  more  than  an  equal  quantity  of  water. 
The  females  seldom  do  any  labour  while  they  are  with 
young,  but  are  suffered  to  bring  forth  at  liberty.  The 
profit  which  arises  from  their  produce,  and  from  their 
milk,  perhaps  surpasses  that  which  is  got  from  their 
labour ;  nevertheless,  in  some  places,  a  great  part  of 
the  females  undergo  castration,  as  well  as  the  males, 
in  order  to  render  them  more  fit  for  labour.  In  gene- 
ral, the  fatter  the  Camels  are,  the  more  capable  they 
are  of  enduring  great  fatigues.  Their  hunches  appear 
to  be  formed  only  from  the  superabundance  of  nourish- 
ment; for,  in  long  journeys,  where  they  are  obliged 
to  stint  them  in  their  food,  and  where  they  suffer  both 
hunger  and  thirst,  these  hunches  gradually  diminish, 
and  are  reduced  almost  even  ;  and  the  eminences  are 
only  discovered  by  the  height  of  the  hair,  which  is 
always  much  longer  upon  these  parts  than  upon  any 
other  part  of  the  back. 

The  young  Camel  sucks  its  mother  a  year :  and 
when  they  want  to  bring  him  up  so  as  to  make  him 
strong  and  robust,  they  leave  him  at  liberty  to  suck  or 
graze  for  a  longer  time,  nor  begin  to  load  him,  or  put 
him  to  labour,  till  he  has  attained  the  age  of  four  years. 
The  Camel  commonly  lives  forty  or  fifty  years. 

The  Camel  is  not  only  of  greater  value  than  the  ele- 
phant, but  perhaps  not  of  less  than  the  horse,  the  ass, 
and  the  ox,  all  united  together.  He  alone  carries  as 
much  as  two  mules  ;  he  not  only  also,  eats  less,  but 
likewise  feeds  on  herbs  as  coarse  as  the  ass.  The 
female  furnishes  milk  a  longer  time  than  the  cow  f  the 
flesh  of  young  Camels  is  good  and  wholesome,  like 
veal ;  their  hair  i*  finer,  and  more  sought  after  than 
the  finest  wool ;  there  is  not  a  part  of  them,  even  to 
their  excrements,  from  which  some  profit  is  not  drawn; 
for  sal  ammoniack  is  made  from  their  urine  ;  their 
dung,  when  dried  and  powdered,  serves  them  for  litter, 
as  it  does  for  horses,  with  whom  they  often  travel  into 
countries  where  neither  straw  nor  hay  is  known.  In 
fine,  a  kind  of  turf  is  also  made  of  this  dung,  which 
burns  freely,  and  gives  a  flame  as  clear,  and  almost  as 
lively,  as  that  of  dry  wood ;  even  this  is  another  great 
use,  especially  in  deserts,  where  not  a  tree  is  to  be 


THE    BUFFALO,  125 

seen,  and  where,  from  the  deficiency  of  combustible 
matters,  fire  is  almost  as  scarce  as  water. 


THE    BUFFALO,  1HE    AUROCHS,  THE    BISON,  AND    THE 
ZEBU. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Buffalo  is,  at  this  present  time,  com- 
mon in  Greece,  and  tame  in  Italy,  it  was  neither  known 
by  the  Greeks  nor  Romans ;  for  it  never  had  a  name 
in  the  language  of  these  people.  The  word  buffalo 
even  indicates  a  strange  origin,  not  to  be  derived  either 
from  the  Greek  or  Latin  tongues.  In  effect,  this  ani- 
mal is  originally  a  native  of  the  hottest  countries  of 
Africa  and  India,  and  was  not  transported  and  natu- 
ralized in  Italy  till  towards  the  seventh  century.  It  is 
true,  the  ancients  have  spoken  of  an  animal,  as  of  a 
different  species  from  the  ox,  under  the  name  of  buba- 
lus ;  and  Aristotle  has  mentioned  the  wild  ox  of 
Pfeonia,  which  he  has  called  bonasus.  Both  the  an- 
cients and  moderns,  however,  have  multiplied  the  spe- 
cies unnecessarily;  and  from  attentive  observation, 
I  am  clearly  of  opinion,  that  there  are  but  two  species 
which  are  essentially  different,  viz.  the  ox  and  the 
Buffalo. 

We  may  observe,  throughout  the  different  regions  of 
the  world,  the  breed  of  oxen  differing  from  each  other 
in  all  external  appearances,  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  climate,  or  other  circumstances ;  but  the  most  re- 
markable difference  is  that  which  divides  them  into 
two  classes,  viz.  the  Aurochs,  or  ox  without  a  hunch 
on  its  back,  and  the  Bison,  or  hunched  ox.  From  in- 
dubitable facts,  however,  we  have  the  utmost  reason 
to  conclude,  that  these  are  no  other  than  varieties  of  the 
same  species.  The  hunch,  the  length  and  quality  of 
the  hair,  and  the  form  of  the  horns,  are  the  sole  cha- 
racters by  which  the  Bison  is  distinguished  from  the 
Aurochs;  but  the  hunched  oxen  couple  and  produce 
with  our  oxen  ;  and  we  likewise  know,  that  the  length 
and  quality  of  the  hair,  in  all  animals,  depends  on  the 
nature  of  the  climate  ;  and  we  have  remarked,  that,  in 
oxen,  goats,  and  sheep,  the  form  of  the  horns  is  various 
and  fluctuating.  These  differences,  therefore,  do  not 
suffice  to  establish  two  distinct  species  ;  and  since  our 
tame  ox  of  Europe  couples  with  the  hunched  ox  of 
11* 


126  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

India,  we  have  the  greatest  reason  to  think  that  it 
would  also  couple  with  the  Bison,  or  hunched  ox  of 
Europe.  Notwithstanding  this,  however,  we  are  not 
to  be  surprised,  that  t'ie  two  kinds  have  not  melted  or 
coalesced  into  a  mongrel  breed,  since  many  circum- 
stances may  have  occurred  to  keep  them  asunder  ;  and, 
in  fact,  we  actually  find  that  these  kinds  have  subsisted 
till  this  present  time,  either  in  a  free  and  wild,  or  in 
a  tame  state ;  and  are  scattered,  or  rather  have  been 
transported  into  all  the  climates  of  the  earth.  All  the 
tame  oxen  without  hunches  have  proceeded  from  the 
Aurochs,  and  all  with  hunches  are  issues  of  the  Bison. 
In  order  to  give  a  just  idea  of  the  varieties,  we  shall 
make  a  short  enumeration  of  these  animals,  such  as 
they  are  found  actually  to  be  in  the  different  parts  of 
the  earth. 

To  begin  with  the  north  of  Europe,  the  few  oxen 
and  cows  which  subsist  in  Iceland  are  without  horns, 
although  they  are  of  the  same  kind  as  our  oxen.  The 
size  of  these  animals  is  rather  relative  to  the  plenty 
and  quality  of  pasture,  than  to  the  nature  of  the  cli- 
mate. The  Dutch  haVe  often  brought  lean  cows  from 
Denmark,  which  fatten  prodigiously  in  their  meadows, 
and  which  give  plenty  of  milk.  These  Danish  cows 
are  longer  than  ours.  The  oxen  and  cows  of  Ukraine, 
where  there  is  excellent  pasture,  are  said  to  be  the 
largest  in  Europe ;  they  are  also  of  the  same  kind  as 
our  oxen. 

The  breed  of  Aurochs,  or  ox  without  a  hunch,  in- 
habits the  cold  and  temperate  zones.  It  is  not  very 
much  dispersed  towards  the  southern  countries  ;  on  the 
contrary,  the  breed  of  the  Bison,  or  hunched  ox,  fills 
all  the  southern  provinces,  at  this  present  time.  In  the 
whole  continent  of  India ;  the  islands  of  the  South 
Seas;  in  all  Africa,  from  Mount  Atlas  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  we  find,  I  may  say,  nothing  but  hunched 
oxen ;  and  it  even  appears,  that  this  breed,  which  has 
prevailed  in  all  the  hot  countries,  has  many  advantages 
over  the  others.  These  hunched  oxen,  like  the  Bison, 
of  which  they  are  the  issue,  have  the  hair  much  softer 
and  more  glossy  than  our  oxen,  who,  like  the  Aurochs, 
are  furnished  but  with  little  hair,  which  is  of  a  harsh 
nature.  These  hunched  oxen  are  also  swifter,  and 
more  proper  to  sMpply  the  place  of  a  horse ;  at  the 


THE    BUFFALO,    ETC.  127 

same  time,  that  they  have  a  less  brutal  nature,  and  are 
not  so  clumsy  and  stupid  as  our  oxen,  they  are  more 
tractable,  and  sensible  which  way  you  would  lead  them. 
The  regard  the  Indians  have  for  these  animals  is  so  great, 
as  to  have  almost  degenerated  into  superstition.  The 
ox,  as  the  most  useful  animal,  has  appeared  to  them  the 
most  worthy  of  being  revered ;  for  this  purpose,  they 
have  made  an  idol  of  the  object  of  their  veneration,  a 
kind  of  beneficent  and  powerful  divinity ;  for  we  are 
desirous  of  rendering  all  we  respect,  great  and  capable 
of  doing  much  good,  or  much  harm. 

These  hunched  oxen,  perhaps,  vary  again  more  than 
ours,  in  the  colours  of  the  hair,  and  the  figure  of  the 
horns.  The  handsomest  are  all  white,  like  the  oxen 
of  Lombardy ;  there  are  also  some  that  are  without 
horns;  there  are  others  who  have  them  much  elevated, 
and  others  so  bent  down,  that  they  are  almost  pendent; 
it  even  appears,  that  we  must  divide  this  first  kind  of 
BISONS,  or  hunched  oxen,  into  two  secondary  kinds  , 
the  one  very  large,  and  the  other  very  small ;  and  this 
last  is  that  of  the  ZEBU  ;  both  have  soft  hair,  and  a 
hunch  on  the  back.  This  hunch  does  not  depend  on 
the  conformation  of  the  spine,  nor  on  the  bones  of 
the  shoulder ;  it  is  nothing  but  an  excrescence,  a  kind 
of  wen,  a  piece  of  tender  flesh,  as  good  to  eat  as  the 
tongue  of  an  ox.  The  wens  of  some  oxen  weigh  about 
forty  or  fifty  pounds  ;  others  have  them  much  smaller ; 
some  of  these  oxen  have  also  prodigious  horns  for  their 
size  :  there  is  one  in  the  French  King's  cabinet,  which 
is  three  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  and  seven  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  base.  Many  travellers  affirm,  they 
have  seen  them  of  a  capacity  sufficient  to  contain  fif- 
teen, and  even  twenty  pints  of  water. 

Thus  all  the  southern  parts  of  Africa  and  Asia  are 
inhabited  with  hunched  oxen,  or  Bisons,  among  which 
a  great  variety  is  to  be  met  with  in  respect  to  size, 
colour,  shape  of  the  horns,  &c.  On  the  contrary,  all 
the  northern  countries  of  these  two  parts  of  the  world, 
and  Europe  entirely,  comprehending  even  the  adja- 
cent islands,  to  the  Azores,  are  only  inhabited  by  oxen 
without  a  hunch,  who  derive  their  origin  from  the 
Aurochs.  The  Bison,  or  wild  hunched  ox,  is  stronger, 
and  much  larger  than  the  tame  ox  of  India  ;  it  is  also 
«omeiimes  smaller  ;  but  that  depends  only  on  the  quan- 


128  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

tity  of  food.  At  Malabar,  at  Abyssinia,  at  Madagas- 
car, where  the  meadows  are  naturally  spacious  and  fer- 
tile, the  Bisons  are  all  of  prodigious  size.  In  Africa 
and  Arabia  Petraea,  where  the  land  is  dry,  the  Zebus, 
or  Bisons,  are  of  the  smallest  stature. 

Every  part  of  South  America  is  inhabited  by  oxen 
without  hunches,  which  the  Spaniards,  and  other  Euro- 
peans, have  successfully  transported.  These  oxen  are 
multiplied,  and  are  only  become  smaller  in  these  coun- 
tries. In  all  the  northern  parts,  as  far  as  Florida, 
Louisiana,  and  even  as  far  as  Mexico,  the  Bisons,  or 
hunched  oxen,  are  to  be  found  in  great  numbers. 
These  Bisons,  which  formerly  inhabited  the  woods  of 
Germany,  Scotland,  and  other  of  our  northern  coun- 
tries, have  probably  passed  from  one  continent  to  the 
other,  and  are  become,  like  other  animals,  smaller  in 
this  new  world  ;  and  as  they  are  habituated  to  climates 
more  or  less  cold,  they  have  preserved  their  coat  More 
or  less  warm  ;  their  hair  is  longer  and  thicker  ;  the 
beard  is  longer  at  Hudson's  Bay  than  at  Mexico  ;  and, 
in  general,  this  hair  is  softer  than  the  finest  wool. 

Thus  the  wild  and  the  tame  ox,  the  European,  the 
Asian,  the  American,  and  the  African  ox,  the  bonasus, 
the  Aurochs,  the  Bison,  and  the  Zebu,  are  all  animals 
of  one  and  the  same  species,  who,  according  to  the  cli- 
mates, food,  and  different  usage  they  have  met  with, 
have  undergone  all  the  variations  we  have  before 
explained.  The  ox,  as  the  most  useful  animal,  is  also 
the  most  universally  dispersed.  He  appears  ancient 
in  every  climate,  tame  among  civilized  nations,  and 
wild  in  desert  or  unpolished  countries ;  he  supports 
himself  by  his  own  strength  when  in  a  state  of  nature, 
and  has  never  lost  the  qualities  which  are  useful  to  the 
service  of  man.  The  young  wild  calves  which  are 
taken  from  their  mothers  in  India  and  Africa,  have,  in 
a  short  time,  become  as  ractable  as  those  which  are 
the  issue  of  the  tame  kind ;  and  this  natural  confor- 
mity is  another  striking  proof  f  f  the  identity  of  the 
species. 

If  it  be  asked,  which  of  the  two  kinds,  the  Aurochs 
or  the  Bison,  claims  the  first  place  ?  It  appears  to  me, 
that  a  satisfactory  answer  may  be  urawn  from  the  facts 
we  have  just  laid  down.  The  hunch  or  wen  of  the 
Bison  is  probably  no  other  than  an  accidental  charac 


THE  BUFFALO,   ETC.  129 

ter,  whicli  is  defaced  and  lost  in  the  mixture  of  the  two 
kinds.  The  Auroch,  or  ox  without  a  hunch,  then,  is 
the  most  powerful  and  predominant  of  the  two  ;  for,  if 
it  was  the  contrary,  the  hunch,  instead  of  disappearing, 
would  extend  and  remain  upon  every  one  of  this  mixed 
breed.  What  confirms  and  proves  still  more  the  iden- 
tity of  the  species  of  Bison  and  Aurochs,  is,  that  the 
Bisons,  or  hunch-backed  oxen,  in  the  north  of  Ame- 
rica, have  so  strong  a  smell,  that  they  have  been  called 
Musk  Oxen  by  the  greatest  number  of  travellers ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  we  find,  by  the  accounts  of  obser- 
ving people,  that  the  Aurochs,  or  wild  ox  of  Prussia 
and  Livonia,  has  the  smell  of  musk,  like  the  Bison  ot 
America. 

There  remain,  therefore,  but  two  species,  the  BUF- 
FALO and  the  Ox,  out  of  all  the  names  placed  at  the 
head  of  this  section;  to  each  of  which  the  ancient  and 
modern  naturalists  have  given  a  separate  and  distinct 
species.  These  two  animals,  although  greatly  resem 
bling  each  other,  both  tame,  and  often  living  under  the 
same  roof,  and  fed  in  the  same  meadows,  yet,  when 
brought  together,  and  even  excited  by  their  keepers, 
have  ever  refused  to  unite  and  couple  together;  their 
nature  is  more  distant  than  that  of  the  ass  is  from  the 
horse ;  there  even  appears  to  be  a  strong  antipathy 
between  them  ;  for  it  is  affirmed,  that  cows  will  not 
suckle  the  young  Buffaloes;  and  the  female  Buffalo 
refuses  the  same  kindness  to  the  other's  calves.  The 
Buffalo  is  of  a  more  obstinate  nature,  and  less  tractable 
than  the  Ox  ;  he  obeys  with  great  reluctance,  and  his 
temper  is  more  coarse  and  brutal ;  like  the  hog,  he  is 
one  of  the  filthiest  of  the  tame  animals,  as  he  shows 
by  his  unwillingness  to  be  cleaned  and  dressed  ;  his 
figure  is  very  clumsy,  and  forbidding;  his  looks  stu- 
pidly wild  ;  he  carries  his  tail  in  an  ignoble  manner, 
and  his  head  in  a  very  bad  posture,  almost  always 
inclined  towards  the  ground  ;  his  voice  is  a  hideous  bel- 
lowing, with  a  tone  much  stronger  and  more  hoarse  than 
that  of  the  bull ;  his  legs  are  thin,  his  tail  bare,  and 
his  physiognomy  dark,  like  his  hair  and  skin.  He  dif 
fers  externally  from  the  ox,  chiefly  in  the  colour  of  his 
hide  ;  and  this  is  easily  perceived  under  the  hair,  with 
which  he  is  but  sparingly  furnished ;  his  body  is  like- 
wise thicker  and  shorter  than  that  of  the  ox ;  his  legs 


130  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

are  longer,  and  proportionably  much  less ;  the  horna 
not  so  round,  black,  and  partly  compressed,  ,vith  a  lull 
of  hair  frizzled  over  his  forehead  ;  his  hide  is  likewise 
thicker  and  harder  than  that  of  the  ox;  his  flesh  is 
black  and  hard,  and  not  only  disagreeable  to  the  taste, 
but  to  the  smell ;  the  milk  of  the  female  is  not  so  good 
as  that  of  the  cow ;  nevertheless,  she  yields  a  greater 
quantity.  In  hot  countries,  almost  all  the  cheese  is 
made  of  Buffaloes'  milk.  The  flesh  of  the  young  Buf- 
faloes, though  killed  during  the  suckling  time,  is  not 
good.  The  hide  alone  is  of  more  value  than  all  the 
rest  of  the  beast,  whose  tongue  is  the  only  part  that  is 
fit  to  eat.  This  hide  is  firm,  light,  and  almost  impene- 
trable. As  these  animals,  in  general,  are  larger  and 
stronger  than  the  oxen,  they  are  very  serviceable  in  the 
plough ;  they  draw  well,  but  do  not  carry  burdens ; 
they  are  led  by  the  means  of  a  ring  passed  through 
their  nose.  Two  Buffaloes  harnessed,  or  rather  chained, 
to  a  wagon,  will  draw  as  much  as  four  stro/ig  horses. 
As  they  carry  their  tails  and  their  heads  naturally 
downwards,  they  employ  the  whole  force  of  their  body 
in  drawing;  and  this  heavy  mass  greatly  surpasses 
that  of  a  horse  or  a  labouring  ox. 

The  form  and  thickness  of  the  Buffalo  alone  are  suf- 
ficient to  indicate  that  he  is  a  native  of  the  hottest  coun- 
tries. The  largest  quadrupeds  belong  to  the  torrid 
zone  in  the  Old  Continent;  and  the  Buffalo,  for  his  size 
and  thickness,  ought  to  be  classed  with  the  elephant, 
the  rhinoceros,  and  the  hippopotamus.  The  camel  is 
more  elevated,  but  slenderer,  and  is  also  an  inhabitant 
of  the  southern  countries  of  Africa  and  Asia  :  never- 
theless, the  Buffaloes  live  and  multiply  in  Italy,  in 
France,  and  in  other  temperate  provinces.  Those  that 
are  in  the  French  king's  menagerie  have  brought  forth 
two  or  three  times.  The  female  has  but  one  at  a  time, 
and  goes  about  twelve  months  ;  which  is  another  proof 
of  the  difference  between  this  species  and  that  of  the 
cow,  which  only  goes  nine  months.  It  appears  also  that 
these  animals  are  gentler  and  less  brutal  in  their  native 
country ;  and  the  hotter  the  climate  is,  the  more  trac- 
table is  their  nature.  In  Egypt  they  are  more  so  than 
in  Italy;  and  in  India  they  are  more  so  than  in  Egypt. 
These  of  Italy  have  also  more  hair  than  those  of  Egypt, 
and  those  of  Egypt  more  than  those  of  India.  Then 


THE   BISON.  131 

coat  is  never  entirely  covered,  because  they  are  natives 
of  hot  countries;  and,  in  general,  large  animals  of  this 
climate,  have  either  no  hair,  or  else  very  little. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  wild  Buffaloes  in  the 
countries  of  Africa  and  India,  which  are  watered  with 
many  rivers,  and  furnished  with  large  meadows.  These 
wild  Buffaloes  go  in  droves,  and  make  great  havoc  in 
cultivated  lands  ;  but  they  never  attack  the  human  spe- 
cies, and  will  not  run  at  them,  unless  they  are  wounded, 
when  they  are  very  dangerous;" for  they  make  directly 
at  their  enemy,  throw  him  down,  and  trample  him  to 
death  under  their  feet;  nevertheless,  they  are  greatly 
terrified  at  the  sight  of  fire,  and  are  displeased  at  a  red 
colour. 

The  Buffalo,  like  all  other  animals  of  southern  cli- 
mates, is  fond  of  bathing,  and  even  of  remaining  in  the 
water;  he  swims  very  well,  and  boldly  traverses  the 
most  rapid  floods.  As  his  legs  are  longer  than  those 
of  the  ox,  he  runs  also  quicker  upon  land.  The  Ne- 
groes in  Guinea,  and  the  Indians  in  Malabar,  where 
the  wild  Buffaloes  are  very  numerous,  often  hunt  them. 
They  neither  pursue  them  nor  attack  them  openly,  but, 
climbing  up  the  trees,  or  hiding  .fiemselves  in  the 
woods,  they  wait  for  them  and  kill  them,  the  Buffaloes 
not  being  able,  without  much  trouble,  to  penetrate  these 
forests,  on  account  of  the  thickness  of  their  bodies, 
and  the  impediment  of  their  horns,  which  are  apt  to 
entangle  in  the  branches  of  the  trees.  These  people 
are  fond  of  the  flesh  of  the  Buffalo,  and  gain  great  pro- 
fit by  vending  their  hides  and  their  horns,  which  are 
harder  and  better  than  those  of  the  ox.  The  animal 
that  is  called  in  Congo  empacapa,  or  pacapa,  though 
very  ill  described  by  travellers,  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
Buffalo  ;  as  that  which  they  have  spoken  of,  under  the 
name  of  empabunga,  or  impaiunca,  in  the  same  coun- 
try, may  possibly  be  the  bubalus. 

THE    BISON. 

THIS  formidable  animal  is,  as  M.  Buffon  states,  a  va- 
riety of  the  ox  tribe.  It  inhabits  both  parts  of  the  Ame- 
rican continent;  and  in  North  America  immense  herds 
are  frequently  seen.  The  foreparts  of  the  body  are 
very  thick  and  strong ;  the  hinder  are  comparative!} 


132  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

slender  ;  the  body  is  covered  in  many  parts  with  long 
shaggy  hair;  the  horns  are  short,  rounded,  and  point- 
ing outwards  ;  and  on  l\.e  shoulders  is  a  high  protube- 
rance, which  is  the  distinctive  mark  of  the  Bison.  This 
hunch  is  considered  as  a  great  delicacy  by  the  Indians. 
These  animals  are  so  ferocious,  that  they  cannot  be 
safely  pursued,  except  in  forests,  where  there  are  trees 
large  enough  to  conceal  the  hunters :  they  are,  there- 
fore, generally  taken  in  pitfalls  covered  with  boughs  of 
trees  and  grass,  where  they  are  easily  overcome  and 
slain.  They  commonly  range  in  droves,  feeding  in  the 
open  savannahs  morning  and  evening ;  and  reposing 
during  the  sultry  part  of  the  day  on  the  shady  banks 
of  rivulets  or  streams  of  water.  Sometimes  they  leave 
so  deep  an  impression  of  their  feet  on  the  moist  sand, 
as  to  be  thus  traced  and  shot  by  the  Indians ;  but  on 
these  occasions,  the  utmost  precaution  is  requisite  ; 
since  their  sense  of  smelling  is  extremely  acute,  and 
when  slightly  wounded,  they  become  perfectly  infuri- 
ate, and  certain  death  awaits  the  assailant.  Yet,  not- 
withstanding their  wildness  in  a  state  of  nature,  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  they  might  be  domesticated 
without  much  difficulty,  and  their  immense  strength 
would  render  them  a  valuable  acquisition  to  mankind. 
The  experiment  has  been  tried  in  America,  and  it  has 
fully  succeeded.  There  is  something  affecting  in  the 
fondness  of  the  young  Bison  for  its  dam.  If  the  mo- 
ther be  killed,  the  calf,  instead  of  attempting  to  escape, 
follows  the  hunter  who  is  carrying  away  the  remains 
of  its  parent,  and  manifests  strong  signs  of  sorrow. 

THE    ARXEE. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  an  inhabitant  of  various  parts 
of  India  north  of  Bengal,  far  exceeds  in  size  any  of  the 
cattle  tribe  that  has  hitherto  been  discovered  ;  it  be- 
ing from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  height.  The  horns, 
which  are  full  two  feet  in  length,  are  erect  and  semi- 
lunar,  flattened,  and  annularly  wrinkled,  with  smooth, 
round,  approaching  points.  The  Arnee  is  seldom  seen 
within  the  European  settlements,  but  a  very  young  one 
was  picked  up  alive  in  the  Ganges,  some  years  ago, 
which  was  as  big  as  an  immensely  large  bullock,  and 
weighed  nearly  three  quarters  of  a  ton.  A  British  officer 


KUIOPKAN  BISON,   ATTACKED  BY  WOLVES*       P.   126. 


SHEEP.  133 

who  found  one  in  the  woods  in  the  country  above  Ben- 
gal, describes  it  as  a  bold  and  daring  animal,  and  its 
form  as  seeming  to  partake  of  the  horse,  the  Bull,  and 
the  deer.  Some  of  the  native  princes  are  said  to  keep 
Arnees  for  parade,  under  the  name  of  fighting  bullocks. 

THE    ZEBU 

THE  ZEBU,  or  Barbary  Cow,  :s  somewhat  like  the 
bison,  having  a  hump  on  its  shoulders,  from  twenty  to 
forty  pounds  in  weight.  They  are  often  saddled  like 
horses,  and  are  also  used  in  drawing  chariots,  carts, 
<fcc.  Instead  of  a  bit,  a  ring  or  small  cord  is  passed 
through  the  cartilage  of  the  nostrils,  which  is  tied  to  a 
larger  cord,  and  serves  as  a  bridle. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Of  the  Moufflon,  and  other  Sheep — The  Axis — The  Ta- 
pir— The  Zebra — The  Zebra  of  the  Plains — The 
Hippopotamus — The  Elk,  and  Rain-deer — The  Ma- 
layan Rusa  Deer. 

THE    MOUFFLON,    OR    ARGALI,    AND    OTHER    SHEEP. 

THE  breed  of  Sheep,  though  perhaps  originally  all 
of  the  same  species,  yet  are  found  to  be  very  different 
in  different  countries.  Our  domestic  Sheep  is  only  to 
be  met  with  in  Europe,  and  some  of  the  most  tempe- 
rate provinces  of  Asia,  and  if  transported  into  Guinea, 
loses  its  wool,  and  is  covered  with  hair.  It  increases 
there  but  little,  and  its  flesh  has  no  longer  the  same 
taste  :  it  cannot  also  subsist  in  cold  countries. 

In  Iceland,  a  breed  of  Sheep  is  to  be  found,  who 
have  many  horns,  short  tails,  harsh  and  thick  wool, 
under  which,  as  in  almost  every  animal  in  the  north 
is  a  second  lining,  of  a  softer,  finer,  and  thicker  wool. 
These  animals  a  e  sometimes  wintered  in  stables,  but 
are  generally  left  to  provide  for  themselves  in  the  open 
plains.  Caves  are  their  retreats  in  storm'  weather 
VOL.  II.— 12 


134  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

but  when  they  cann  it  reach  such  places  of  shelter, 
and  are  involved  in  falls  of  snow,  they  place  their  heads 
near  each  other,  with  their  muzzles  downward  towards 
the  ground.  In  this  situation  they  will  remain  for 
several  days,  and  hunger  will  sometimes  compel  them 
to  gnaw  each  other's  wool.  They  yield  from  two  to  six 
quarts  of  milk  a  day.  Their  wool  is  not  shorn,  but 
loosens  of  itself  about  the  end  of  May,  and  is  then  strip- 
ped off  at  once  like  a  skin. 

In  warm  climates,  some  are  covered  with  wool, 
others  with  hair,  and  a  third  kind  with  hair  mixed 
with  wool.  The  first  kind  of  Sheep  of  those  countries 
is  that  commonly  called  the  Barbary  or  Arabian  Sheep, 
which  entirely  resembles  the  tame  kind,  excepting  in 
the  tail,  which  is  very  much  loaded  with  fat,  is  often 
more  than  a  foot  broad,  and  weighs  upwards  of  twenty 
pounds.  As  for  external  appearance,  this  Sheep  has 
nothing  remarkable  but  the  tail,  which  he  carries  as  if 
a  pillow  was  fastened  to  his  hinder  parts.  Among  this 
kind  of  broad-tailed  Sheep,  there  are  some  whose  tails 
are  so  long  and  heavy,  that  the  shepherds  are  obliged 
to  fasten  a  small  board  with  wheels,  in  order  to  sup- 
port them  as  they  walk  along.  This  tail,  which  is  a 
substance  between  marrow  and  fat,  is  considered  as  a 
great  delicacy.  In  the  Levant,  these  Sheep  are  clothed 
with  a  very  fine  wool.  In  the  hotter  countries,  as 
Madagascar  and  India,  they  are  clothed  with  hair.  The 
superabundance  of  fat,  which  in  our  Sheep  fixes  upon 
the  reins,  in  these  Sheep  descends  under  the  vertebrae 
of  the  tail ;  the  other  parts  of  the  body  are  less  charged 
with  it  than  in  our  fat  Sheep.  This  variety  is  to  be 
attributed  to  the  climate,  the  food,  and  the  care  of  man- 
kind ;  for  these  broad,  or  long-tailed  Sheep,  are  tame, 
like  those  of  our  country  ;  and  they  even  demand  much 
more  care  and  management.  This  breed  is  much  more 
dispersed  than  ours ;  they  are  commonly  met  with  in 
Tartary,  Thibet,  Turkey,  Persia,  Syria,  Egypt,  Bar- 
oary,  Ethiopia,  and  Madagascar;  and  even  as  far  as  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  In  Thibet,  their  fleeces,  which 
are  very  fine,  are  manufactured  into  shawls. 

THE    STREPSICEROS. 

IN  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  and  chufly  in  the 
island  oi  Candia,  there  is  a  breed  of  Sheep  of  which 


SHEEP.  135 

Bcllon  has  given  the  figure  and  description,  under  the 
name  of  Strepsiceros.  This  Sheep  is  of  the  make  of 
our  common  Sheep  :  it  is,  like  that,  clothed  with  wool, 
and  only  differs  from  it  by  the  horns,  which  are  larger 
and  rise  upwards,  but  are  twisted  into  spirals.  The 
distance  between  the  horns  of  the  Ewe  enlarges  to- 
wards their  tops ;  those  of  the  Ram  are  parallel. 
This  animal,  which  is  commonly  called  the  Wallachian 
Sheep,  is  frequent  in  Austria  and  Hungary,  where  its 
name  is  Zackl. 


THE    AFRICAN    SHEEP. 

IN  the  hottest  countries  of  Africa  and  India,  there  is 
a  breed  of  large  Sheep,  which  has  rough  hair,  short 
horns,  hanging  ears,  and  a  kind  of  tuft  under  the  tail. 
Leo  Africanus,  and  Marmol,  call  it  adamain  ;  and  it  is 
known  to  the  naturalists  by  the  names  of  the  Senegal 
Ram,  the  Guinea  Ram,  and  the  Angola  Sheep,  &c. 
He  is  tame  like  ours,  and,  like  him,  subject  to  variety. 
These,  though  different  in  themselves  by  particular 
characters,  resemble  each  other  so  much  in  other  re- 
spects, that  we  can  scarcely  doubt  but  they  are  of  the 
same  kind. 

A  specimen  of  the  male  African  Sheep  is  now  in  the 
Tower  menagerie,  to  which  it  was  presented  about 
six  years  ago  by  Lord  Liverpool.  In  temper  it  is 
extremely  mild  ;  but  it  is  an  uncouth  looking  creature. 
It  is  high  on  the  legs,  narrow  in  the  loins,  and  its  coat 
is  rough  and  shaggy.  Its  horns  are  remarkably  small, 
and  within  their  curve  the  ears  are  enclosed.  When- 
ever the  ears  escape  from  this  seeming  confinement, 
the  animal  exhibits  much  uneasiness ;  and,  difficult  as 
it  is  for  him  to  replace  them,  he  never  rests  till  it  is 
accomplished.  On  his  back  and  sides  he  is  nearly 
black  ;  the  shoulders  are  of  a  reddish  brown  ;  the  pos- 
terior part  of  the  body,  the  haunches,  the  hind  legs, 
the  tail,  the  nose,  and  also  the  ears,  which  are  rathei 
large,  are  white.  There  is  likewise  a  white  spot  ovei 
each  eye. 

In  considering,  therefore,  according  to  the  difference 
of  climate,  the  Sheep  which  are  purely  tame,  we  find. 

1  The  Sheep  of  the  north,  who  have  many  horns 
»nd  whose  wool  is  rough  and  verj"  thick ;  and  tht 


136  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Sheep  of  the  island  of  Gothland,  Muscovy,  and  many 
other  parts  of  the  north  of  Europe,  whose  wool  is  thick, 
and  who  appear  to  be  of  the  same  breed. 

2.  Our  Sheep,  whose  wool  is  very  good  and  fine  ill 
the   mild   climates  of   Spain   and  Persia,   but  in    hot 
countries  changes  to  a  rough  hair.     We  have  already 
observed,  this  conformity  in  this  influence  of  the  cli- 
mates of  Spain  and  Khorasan,  a  province  of  Persia,  on 
the  hair  of  cats,  rabbits,  hares,  <fec.     It  acts  in  the  same 
manner  upon  the  wool  of  Sheep,  which  is  very  fine  in 
Spain,  and  still  finer  in  this  part  of  Persia. 

3.  The  broad-tailed  Sheep,  whose  wool  is  also  very 
fine  in  temperate  countries,  such  as  Persia,  Syria,  and 
Egypt ;  but  which,  in  hot  countries,  changes  into  a 
hair  more  or  less  rough. 

4.  The  Sheep  strepsiceros,  or  Cretan  Sheep,  who 
resemble  ours  both  in  wool  and  make,  excepting  the 
horns,  which  are  straight  and  furrowed. 

5.  The  adimain,  or  the  great  Sheep  of  Senegal  and 
India,  which  in  no  part  is  covered  with  wool,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  is  clothed  with  hair,  which  is  longer  or 
shorter,  rougher  or  smoother,  according  to  the  heat 
of  the  climate.     All  these  Sheep  are  only  varieties  of 
one  and  the  same  species,  and  certainly  would  unite 
one  with  the  other,  since  the  goat,  whose  species  is 
farther  distant,  procreates  with  our  Sheep,  as  we  are 
assured  from  experience.      But  none   of  these  tame 
Sheep  have  the  characters  of  an  original  species. 

THE    MOUFFLON. 

IN  Kamtschatka,  in  the  mountains  of  Greece,  in  the 
islands  of  Cyprus,  Sardinia,  Corsica,  and  the  deserts 
of  Tartary,  the  animal  which  we  call  the  moufflon,  or 
argali,  is  still  to  be  found.  It  appears  to  us  to  be  the 
primitive  stock  of  all  Sheep.  He  lives  in  a  state  of 
nature,  and  subsists  and  multiplies  without  the  help 
of  man;  he  resembles  the  several  kinds  of  tame  Sheep 
more  than  any  other  animal ;  he  is  livelier,  stronger, 
and  swifter  than  they  are ;  his  head,  forehead,  eyes, 
and  face  are  like  the  Ram's  ;  he  resembles  him  also 
in  the  form  of  the  horns,  and  in  the  whole  habit  of 
body.  In  short,  he  procreates  with  the  tame  Sheep, 
which  alone  is  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  he  is  of 


THE    AXIS.  13? 

the  same  species,  and  the  primitive  stock  of  the  dif- 
ferent breeds. 

The  only  disagreement  betwixt  the  Moufflon  and 
our  Sheep,  is,  that  the  first  is  covered  with  hair  instead 
of  wool ;  but  we  have  observed  that,  even  in  tame 
Sheep,  the  wool  is  not  an  essential  character,  but  a 
production  of  a  temperate  climate.  Hence,  it  is  not 
astonishing  that  the  original,  or  primitive  and  wild 
Sheep,  who  has  endured  cold  and  heat,  lived  and  in- 
creased, without  shelter,  in  the  woods,  is  not  covered 
with  wool,  which  he  would  soon  be  deprived  of  among 
the  thickets  and  thorny  bushes.  Besides,  when  a  he- 
goat  is  coupled  with  a  tame  Sheep,  the  production  is  a 
kind  of  wild  Moufflon,  a  Lamb  covered  with  hair,  and 
not  a  barren  mule,  but  a  mongrel,  which  returns  to  the 
original  species,  and  which  appears  to  indicate  that 
our  goats  and  tame  Sheep  have  something  common  to 
them  both  in  their  origin. 

The  general  colour  of  the  Moufflon  is  brown,  ap- 
proaching to  that  of  the  red  deer :  but  the  inside  of 
the  thighs,  and  the  belly,  are  of  a  white,  tinctured  with 
yellow.  On  the  neck  are  two  pendant  hairy  dewlaps. 
The  horns  of  the  old  Rams  frequently  grow  to  such  a 
size  as  to  weigh  sixteen  or  eighteen  pounds  each.  The 
Moufflon  is  a  fleet,  active,  and  acute  smelling  animal, 
and  cannot  be  taken,  or  even  shot,  without  extreme 
difficulty.  Its  flesh,  however,  is  held  in  such  estima- 
tion  by  the  natives  of  Kamtschatka,  that,  to  procure  it, 
there  is  no  toil  or  danger  which  they  will  not  cheer' 
fully  encounter. 

THE  AXIS. 

THIS  animal  being  only  known  by  the  vague  names 
of  the  Hind  of  Sardinia,  and  the  Deer  of  the  Ganges, 
we  have  thought  it  necessary  to  preserve  the  name 
which  Belon  has  given  to  him,  and  which  he  borrowed 
from  Pliny.  The  Axis  is  of  the  small  number  of  ru- 
minating animals  who  wear  horns,  like  the  stag.  He 
has  the  shape  and  swiftness  of  the  fallow-deer;  but 
what  distinguishes  him  from  the  stag  and  fallow-deer 
5s,  that  his  body  is  marked  with  white  spots,  elegantly 
disposed,  and  separated  one  from  another,  and  that  he 
is  a  native  of  hot  countries  (Hindostan,and  p«  ti  :ulavly 
12" 


129  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

Bengal);  while  the  stag  and  the  deer  have  their  coat 
of  a  uniform  colour,  and  are  to  be  met  with  in  greater 
numbers,  in  cold  countries  and  temperate  regions,  than 
in  hot  climates. 

The  gentlemen  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  have 
only  given  him  the  name  of  the  Sardinian  Hind,  be- 
cause, very  probably,  they  received  that  name  from 
the  royal  menagerie ;  but  there  is  nothing  indicated 
of  this  animal's  being  a  native  of  Sardinia  ;  no  author 
has  ever  mentioned,  that  he  exists  in  that  island  like  a 
wild  animal;  but,  on  the  contrary,  we  see,  by  examin- 
ing authors,  that  he  is  found  in  the  hottest  countries 
of  Asia. 

We  have  already  remarked,  that  there  is  no  species 
which  approaches  so  near  to  another,  as  that  of  the 
deer  to  the  stag:  nevertheless,  the  Axis  appears  to  be 
an  intermediate  mixture  between  the  two.  He  resem- 
bles the  deer  in  the  size  of  his  body,  the  length  of  his 
tail,  and  his  coat,  which  is  the  same  during  his  whole 
life  :  he  only  essentially  differs  from  that  animal  in  his 
horns,  which  nearly  resemble  those  of  the  stag.  The 
Axis,  therefore,  may  possibly  be  only  a  variety  de- 
pending on  the  climate,  and  not  a  different  species 
from  the  deer;  for,  although  he  is  a  native  of  the 
hottest  countries  of  Asia,  he  supports,  and  easily  mul- 
tiplies in,  that  of  Europe.  There  are  many  herds  of 
them  in  the  menagerie  of  Versailles ;  but  it  has  never 
yet  been  observed,  that  they  mix  either  with  the  detr 
or  with  the  stags ;  and  this  is  the  cause  of  our  pre 
suming,  that  it  was  not  a  variety  of  one  or  the  other, 
but  a  particular  and  mediate  species  between  the  two. 
It  is  a  very  mild  and  timid  animal. 

THE    TAPIR,  OR    THE    ANTA, 

Is,  with  the  exception  of  the  horse,  the  largest  ani- 
mal in  America,  where  living  nature  seems  to  be  less- 
ened, or  rather  has  not  had  time  to  arrive  at  its  greatest 
dimensions.  The  animals  also  of  South  America,  which 
alone  properly  and  originally  belong  to  this  New  Con- 
tinent, are  almost  all  without  defence,  without  horns, 
and  without  tails ;  their  bodies  and  their  limbs  are  un- 
proportioned  ;  and  some,  as  the  sluggish  and  crawling 
animals,  <fcc.  are  of  so  mis«rable  a  nature,  that  they 


THE    TAPIR.  139 

scarcely  have  the  faculties  of  moving  or  of  eating ; 
they  drag  on  a  languishing  life  in  the  solitude  of  a 
desert,  and  cannot  subsist  in  the  inhabited  world, 
where  man  and  powerful  animals  would  have  soon 
destroyed  them. 

The  Tapir  is  of  the  size  of  a  small  cow,  or  zebu,  but 
without  horns,  and  with  a  short  naked  tail ;  the  legs 
are  short  and  thick,  and  the  feet  have  small  black 
hoofs.  The  body  is  thick  and  clumsy,  and  the  back 
somewhat  arched,  and  the  hair  is  of  a  dusky  or  brown- 
ish colour.  On  the  short  thick  neck  is  a  kind  of  bristly 
mane,  which,  near  the  head,  is  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
length.  His  head  is  of  a  tolerable  size,  with  roundish 
erect  ears,  and  small  eyes,  and  the  muzzle  terminates 
iu  a  kind  of  proboscis,  which  can  be  extended  or  con- 
tracted at  the  will  of  the  animal.  The  latter  it  uses 
in  feeding,  to  grasp  its  food  and  convey  it  to  the  mouth, 
in  thr,  same  way  that  the  rhinoceros  applies  its  upper 
lip  ;  and  in  this  are  also  contained  the  organs  of  smell. 
He  has  ten  incisive  teeth,  and  ten  grinders,  in  each 
jaw;  a  character  which  separates  him  entirely  from 
the  ox,  and  other  ruminating  animals.  His  skin  is  so 
thick  and  hard  as  to  be  almost  impenetrable  to  a  bul- 
let ;  for  which  reason  the  Indians  make  shields  of  it. 

The  Tapir  seldom  stirs  out  but  in  the  night,  and 
delights  in  the  water,  where  he  oftener  .lives  than 
upon  land.  He  is  chiefly  to  be  found  in  marshes,  and 
seldom  goes  far  from  the  borders  of  rivers  or  lakes. 
He  swims  and  dives  with  singular  facility.  When  he 
is  threatened,  pursued,  or  wounded,  he  plunges  into 
the  water,  and  remains  there  till  he  has  got  to  a  great 
distance  before  he  reappears.  These  customs,  which 
he  has  in  common  with  the  hippopotamus,  have  made 
some  naturalists  imagine  him  to  be  of  the  same  species; 
but  he  differs  as  much  from  him  in  nature,  as  he  is  dis- 
tant from  him  in  climate.  To  be  assured  of  this,  there 
needs  no  more  than  to  compare  the  description  we 
have  now  recited,  with  that  of  the  hippopotamus 
Although  the  Tapir  inhabits  the  water,  he  does  not 
feed  upon  fish ;  and,  although  his  mouth  is  armed  with 
twenty  sharp  and  incisive  teeth,  he  is  not  carnivorous: 
he  lives  upon  sugarcanes,  grasses,  the  leaves  of  shrubs, 
and  various  kinds  of  fruit;  and  does  not  make  use  of 
what  Nature  has  armed  him  with  aga;nst  other  animals 


140  NATUKAL  HISTORY. 

He  is  of  a  mild  and  timid  nature,  and  flies  from  every 
attack  or  danger:  when,  however,  he  is  cut  off  from 
retreat,  he  makes  a  vigorous  defence  against  dogs  and 
men.  Its  usual  attitude  is  that  of  sitting  on  its  rump 
like  a  dog ;  and  its  voice  is  a  kind  of  whistle.  The 
flesh  is  wholesome  food.  It  may  be  tamed,  and  is  then 
very  gentle  and  docile.  This  animal  is  commonly 
found  in  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Guiana,  and  in  all  the  ex- 
tent of  South  America,  frcm  the  extremity  of  Chili  to 
New  Spain. 

A  species  of  Tapir,  which  has  recently  been  dis- 
covered, is  very  common  in  the  island  of  Sumatra  and 
the  forests  of  Malacca.  Its  body  is  of  a  dirty  white, 
while  the  head,  legs,  and  tail  are  of  a  deep  black. 
This  species  has  no  mane,  and  its  proboscis  is  from 
seven  to  eight  inches  long. 

Among  the  numerous  fossil  remains  of  a  former 
world  are  found  fragments  of  Tapirs  of  enormous  size. 
One  of  these  extinct  species,  the  Gigantic  Tapir,  must 
have  been  more  than  equal  to  the  elephant  in  magnitude. 

THE    ZEBRA 

Is,  perhaps,  the  handsomest  and  most  elegantly 
clothed  of  all  quadrupeds.  He  has  the  shape  and 
graces  of  the  horse,  the  swiftness  of  the  stag,  and  a 
striped  robe  of  black  and  white  alternately  disposed 
with  so  much  regularity  and  symmetry,  that  it  seems 
as  if  Nature  had  made  use  of  the  rule  and  compass  to 
paint  it.  These  alternate  bands  of  black  and  white 
are  so  much  the  more  singular,  as  they  are  straight, 
parallel,  and  very  exactly  divided,  like  a  striped  stuff'; 
and  as  they,  in  other  parts,  extend  themselves  not  only 
over  the  body,  but  over  the  head,  the  thighs,  the  legs, 
and  even  the  ears  and  the  tail ;  so  that,  at  a  distance, 
this  animal  appears  as  if  he  was  surrounded  with  little 
fillets,  which  some  person  had  disposed,  in  a  regular 
manner,  over  every  part  of  the  body.  In  the  females, 
these  bands  are  alternately  black  and  white ;  in  the 
male,  they  are  brown  and  yellow,  but  always  of  a  lively 
and  brilliant  mixture,  upon  a  short,  fine,  and  thick  hair; 
the  lustre  of  which  still  more  increases  the  beauty  of 
the  colours.  The  Zebra  is,  in  general,  less  than  the 
horse,  and  larger  than  the  ass ;  and,  although  it  hag 


THE    ZEBRA.  141 

often  been  compared  to  those  two  animals,  and  called 
the  Wild  Horse,  and  the  Striped  Ass,  it  is  a  copy 
neither  of  the  one  nor  the  other,  and  might  rather  be 
called  their  model,  if  all  was  not  equally  original  in 
Nature,  and  if  every  species  had  not  an  equal  right  to 
creation. 

The  Zebra  is  not  the  animal  the  ancients  have  indi- 
cated under  the  name  onagra.  There  exists  in  the 
Levant,  the  eastern  parts  of  Asia,  and  in  the  northern 
parts  of  Africa,  a  beautiful  race  of  asses,  who  like  the 
finest  horses,  are  natives  of  Arabia.  This  race  differs 
from  the  common,  by  the  size  of  the  body,  the  slender- 
ness  of  the  legs,  and  the  lustre  of  the  hair ;  they  are 
of  a  uniform,  but  commonly  of  a  fine  mouse  colour, 
with  a  black  cross  upon  the  back  and  the  shoulders  ; 
and  sometimes  they  are  of  a  bright  gray  colour,  with  a 
flaxen  cross.  The  Zebra  is  also  of  a  different  climate 
from  the  onagra,  and  is  only  to  be  met  with  in  the 
most  eastern  and  the  most  southern  parts  of  Africa, 
from  Ethiopia  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  thence 
to  Congo;  it  exists  neither  in  Europe,  Asia,  nor 
America,  nor  even  in  all  the  northern  parts  of  Africa  : 
those  which  some  travellers  tell  us  they  have  seen  at 
the  Brazils  have  been  transported  thither  from  Africa  ; 
those  which  others  are  recounted  to  have  seen  in  Per- 
sia, and  in  Turkey,  have  been  brought  from  Ethiopia ; 
and,  in  short,  those  that  we  have  seen  in  Europe  are 
almost  all  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  This  point 
of  Africa  is  their  true  climate,  their  native  country, 
and  where  the  Dutch  have  employed  all  their  care  to 
subject  them  and  to  render  them  tame,  without  having 
been  hitherto  able  to  succeed.  That  which  we  have 
seen,  and  which  has  served  for  the  subject  of  our  de- 
scription, was  very  wild  whe,n  he  arrived  at  the  royal 
menagerie  in  France ;  and  he  was  never  entirely  tamed : 
nevertheless,  he  has  been  broken  for  the  saddle  ;  but 
there  are  precautions  necessary :  two  men  held  the 
bridle,  while  a  third  was  upon  him.  His  mouth  is  very 
hard ;  his  ears  so  sensible,  that  he  winces  whenever 
any  person  goes  to  touch  them.  He  was  restive,  like  a 
vicious  horse,  and  obstinate  as  a  mule  ;  but,  perhaps, 
the  wild  horse  and  the  onagra  are  not  less  intractable  ; 
arid  there  is  reason  to  believe,  that  if  the  Zebra  was 
accustomed  to  obedience  and  tameness  from  his  earliest 


112  NATURAL  HISTORY 

years  he  would  become  as  mild  as  the  assund  the  horse, 
and  might  be  substituted  in  their  room. 

The  Zebra  is  chiefly  found  in  the  southern  parts  of 
Africa  ;  often  seen  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  and 
a  penalty  of  fifty  rix-dollars  is  inflicted  on  any  person 
who  shoots  one  of  them.  Such  of  them  as  are  caught 
alive  are  presented  to  the  governor.  Several  have 
been  brought  to  England,  but,  except  in  one  instance, 
they  have  all  displayed  great  wildness,  and  even  fero- 
city. The  exception  was  in  that  which  was  burnt  some 
years  ago  at  Exeter  'Change.  It  would  allow  young 
children  to  be  put  upon  its  back,  and  was  once  ridden 
from  the  Lyceum  to  Pimlico ;  but  it  was  bred  and 
reared  in  Portugal,  from  parents  half  reclaimed.  In 
several  other  cases,  Zebras  have  attempted  to  injure 
spectators,  and  have  not  even  spared  their  keepers. 
The  voice  of  this  creature  is  thought  to  have  a  distant 
resemblance  to  the  sound  of  a  post  horn. 

THE  ZEBRA  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

THE  Zebra  which  we  have  just  described  is  confined 
to  the  mountains  ;  the  subject  of  the  present  article 
inhabits  the  flat  parts  near  the  Cape.  Till  very  recently, 
the  difference  between  them  was  not  accurately  under- 
stood. "  The  ground  colour  of  its  whole  body  (says 
Mr.  Bennett)  is  white,  interrupted  by  a  regular  series 
of  broad  black  stripes  extending  from  the  back  across 
the  sides,  with  narrower  and  fainter  ones  intervening 
between  each.  Over  the  haunches  and  shoulders  these 
stripes  form  a  kind  of  bifurcation,  between  the  divi- 
sions of  which  there  are  a  few  transverse  lines  of  the 
same  colour  ;  but  these  suddenly  and  abruptly  cease, 
and  are  not  continued  on  the  legs,  which  are  perfectly 
white.  Along  the  back  there  is  a  narrow  longitudinal 
line,  bordered  on  each  side  with  white.  The  mane  is 
throughout  broadly  and  deeply  tipped  with  black,  and 
is  marked  by  a  continuation  of  the  transverse  bands  of 
the  neck.  The  lines  of  the  face  are  narrow  and  beau- 
tifully regular;  from  the  centre  of  the  forehead  they 
radiate  downwards  over  the  eyes ;  along  the  front  of 
the  muzzle  they  are  longitudinal,  the  outer  ones  having 
a  curve  outwards ;  and  on  the  sides  they  form  broader 
transverse  bands.  From  the  confluence  of  these  bands 


THE  ZEBRA.  143 

on  the  extremity  of  the  muzzle,  the  nose,  and  the  lower 
lip,  those  parts  become  of  a  nearly  uniform  blackish 
brown.  The  tail  is  white  :  there  is  no  'ongitudinal 
ventral  line  :  and  a  large  black  patch  occupies  the  pos- 
terior part  of  the  ear,  near  the  tip.  The  hoofs  are 
moderately  large,  deep  in  front,  shallow  behind,  and 
much  expanded  at  their  margin." 

The  subject  of  the  present  article,  which  has  now 
been  about  two  years  in  the  Menagerie,  will  suffer  a 
boy  to  ride  her  about  the  yard,  and  is  frequently  allowed 
to  run  loose  through  the  Tower,  with  a  man  by  her  side, 
whom  she  does  not  attempt  to  quit,  except  to  run  to 
the  Canteen,  where  she  is  occasionally  indulged  with  a 
draught  of  ale,  of  which  she  is  particularly  fond. 

THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

ALTHOUGH  this  animal  has  been  celebrated  from  the 
earliest  ages,  it  was,  notwithstanding,  but  imperfectly 
known  to  the  ancients.  It  was  only  towards  the  six- 
teenth century  that  we  had  some  precise  indications  on 
the  subject. 

In  comparing  the  descriptions  which  we  have  obser- 
ved in  different  travellers,  the  Hippopotamus  appears 
to  be  an  animal  whose  body  is  longer  and  thicker  than 
that  of  the  rhinoceros  ;  but  his  fore-legs  are  much 
shorter.  His  head  is  short,  and  thick  in  proportion  to 
the  body.  He  has  no  horns,  neither  on  the  nose,  like 
the  rhinoceros,  nor  on  the  head,  like  ruminating  ani- 
mals. His  cry,  when  hurt,  approaches  as  near  to  the 
neighing  of  the  horse,  as  the  bellowing  of  the  buffalo  ; 
but  his  usual  voice  resembles  the  neighing  of  a  horse, 
from  which,  however,  he  differs  in  every  other  respect ; 
and  this  fact,  we  may  presume,  has  been  the  sole  rea- 
son for  giving  him  the  name  of  Hippopotamus,  or  River 
Horse  ;  as  the  howling  of  the  lynx,  which  resembles 
that  of  the  wolf,  has  occasioned  him  to  be  called  the' 
stag-like  wolf.  The  incisive  teeth  of  the  Hippopota- 
mus, and  especially  the  two  canine  teeth  of  the  lower 
jaw,  are  very  long,  very  strong,  and  of  so  hard  a  sub- 
stance, that  they  strike  fire  with  a  piece  of  iron.  This 
is  probably  what  has  given  rise  to  the  fable  of  the 
ancients,  who  have  reported  that  the  Hippopotamus 
romited  fire.  These  canine  teeth  of  this  animal  are 


144  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

of  white,  so  clear  and  so  hard,  that  they  are  t  referable 
to  ivory  for  making  artificial  teeth.  The  incisive  teeth 
of  the  Hippopotamus,  especially  those  of  the  lower  jaw, 
»re  very  long,  cylindrical,  and  furrowed.  The  canine 
(eeth,  which  are  also  very  long,  are  crooked,  prisma- 
tic, and  sharp,  like  the  tusks  of  a  boar.  The  mola- 
res  are  square,  or  rather  longer  on  one  side  than  the 
other  nearly  like  the  grinders  of  a  man,  and  so  thick, 
that  a  single  one  weighs  more  than  three  pounds.  The 
largest  of  the  incisive,  or  the  canine  teeth,  are  twelve, 
and  even  sixteen  inches  in  length,  and  sometimes 
weigh  twelve  or  thirteen  pounds  each.  The  skin  is  in 
some  parts  two  inches  thick  ;  and  the  Africans  cut  it 
into  whip  thongs,  which,  in  consequence  of  their  soft- 
ness and  pliability,  they  prefer  to  those  procured  from 
the  rhinoceros  hide. 

The  male  Hippopotamus  is  about  six  feet  nine  inches 
long,  from  the  extremity  of  the  muzzle  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  tail ;  fifteen  feet  in  circumference,  si;cl  six 
feet  and  a  half  in  height.  His  legs  are  about  two  feet 
ten  inches  long  ;  the  length  of  the  head,  three  feet  and 
a  half,  and  eight  feet  and  a  half  in  circumference  ;  and 
the  width  of  the  mouth,  two  feet  four  inches.  It,  how- 
ever, sometimes  acquires  much  greater  magnitude.  In 
the  south  of  Africa,  M.  le  Vaillant  killed  one  which 
measured  ten  feet  seven  inches  in  length,  and  about 
nine  feet  in  circumference. 

Thus  powerfully  armed,  with  a  prodigious  strength 
of  body,  he  might  render  himself  formidable  to  every 
animal ;  but  he  is  naturally  gentle,  and  appears  never 
to  be  the  aggressor,  except  when  annoyed  or  wounded. 
It  has  been  erroneously  stated,  that  he  commonly 
moves  slowly  on  the  land,  but,  on  the  contrary,  when 
he  has  been  injured,  he  has  been  known  to  pursue  per- 
sons for  several  hours,  who  escaped  with  great  diffi- 
culty. He  swims  quicker  than  he  runs,  pursues  the 
fish,  and  makes  them  his  prey.  Three  or  four  of  them 
are  often  seen  at  the  bottom  of  a  river,  near  some  cata- 
ract, forming  a  kind  of  line,  and  seizing  upon  such  fish 
as  are  forced  down  by  the  violence  of  the  stream 
He  delights  much  in  the  water,  and  stays  there  as  wil 
lingly  as  upon  land  ;  notwithstanding  which,  he  has  no 
membranes  between  his  toes,  like  the  beaver  and  otter 
and  it  is  plain,  that  the  great  ease  with  which  he  swims 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS.  146 

is  only  owing  to  the  great  capacity  of  his  body,  which 
only  makes  bulk  for  bulk,  and  is  nea~ly  of  an  equal 
weight  with  the  water.  Besides,  he  remains  a  long 
time  under  water,  and  walks  at  the  bottom  as  well  as 
he  does  in  the  open  air.  When  he  quits  it  to  graze  up- 
on land,  he  eats  sugarcanes,  rushes,  millet,  rice,  roots, 
&c.  of  which  he  consumes  and  destroys  a  great  quan- 
tity, and  does  much  injury  to  cultivated  lands;  but,  as 
he  is  more  timid  upon  earth  than  in  the  water,  he  is 
very  easily  driven  away;  and,  as  his  legs  are  short,  he 
cannot  save  himself  well  by  flight,  if  he  is  far  from  any 
water.  His  resource  when  he  finds  himself  in  danger, 
is.jto  plunge  himself  into  the  water,  and  go  a  great  dis- 
tance before  he  reappears.  He  commonly  retreats 
from  his  pursuers;  but  if  he  is  wounded,  he  becomes 
irritated,  and  immediately  facing  about  with  great  fury^ 
rushes  against  the  boats,  seizes  them  with  his  teeth, 
often  tears  pieces  out  of  them,  and  sometimes  sinks 
them  under  water.  "  I  have  seen,"  says  a  traveller, 
"  a  Hippopotamus  open  his  mouth,  fix  one  tooth  on 
the  side  of  a  boat,  and  another  to  the  second  plank 
under  the  keel ;  that  is,  four  feet  distant  from  each 
other,  pierce  the  side  through  and  through,  and  in  this 
manner  sink  the  boat  to  the  bottom.  I  have  seen  ano- 
ther, lying  by  the  side  of  the  seashore,  upon  which  the 
waves  had  driven  a  shallop  heavily  laden,  which  re- 
mained upon  his  back  dry,  and  which  was  again  washed 
back  by  another  wave,  without  the  animal  appearing 
to  have  received  the  least  injury.  When  the  Negroes 
go  a  fishing  in  their  canoes,  and  meet  with  a  Hippopo- 
tamus, they  throw  fish  to  him;  and  then  he  passes  on, 
without  disturbing  their  fishery  any  more.  He  injures 
most  when  he  can  rest  himself  against  the  earth ;  but, 
when  he  floats  in  the  water,  he  can  only  bite.  Once, 
when  our  shallop  was  near  shore,  I  saw  one  of  them 
get  underneath  it,  lift  it  above  water  upon  his  back, 
and  overset  it  with  six  men  who  were  in  it ;  but  fortu* 
nately  they  received  no  hurt." 

"  We  dare  not,"  says  another  traveller,  "  irritate  the 
Hippopotamus  in  the  water,  since  an  adventure  hap^ 
pened,  which  was  near  proving  fatal  to  three  men. 
They  were  going  in  a  small  canoe,  to  kill  one  in  a  river 
where  there  was  about  eight  or  ten  feet  water.  Af- 
ter they  had  discovered  him  walking  at  the  bottom> 
VOL.  II.— 13 


146  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

according  to  iis  custom,  they  wounded  him  \\  lib  a  long 
lance,  which  so  greatly  enraged  him,  that  he  rose  im- 
mediately to  the  surface  of  the  water,  regarded  them 
with  a  terrible  look,  opened  his  mouth,  and,  at  one 
bite,  took  a  great  piece  out  of  the  side  of  the  canoe, 
and  had  very  nearly  overturned  it;  but  he  replunged, 
almost  directly,  to  the  bottom  of  the  water." 

These  animals  are  only  numerous  in  some  parts  ol 
the  world :  it  even  appears,  that  the  species  is  con- 
fined to  particular  climates,  and  seldom  to  be  met  with 
but  in  the  rivers  of  Africa.  Dutch  travellers  say  that 
they  bear  three  or  four  young  ones ;  but  this  appears 
very  suspicious ;  as  the  Hippopotamus  is  of  an  enor- 
mous bulk,  he  is  in  the  class  of  the  elephant,  the  rhi- 
noceros, the  whale,  and  all  other  great  animals,  who 
bring  forth  but  one  ;  and  this  analogy  appears  more 
certain  than  all  the  testimonies  that  they  have  exhibit- 
ed. The  female  brings  forth  her  young  upon  land,  and 
the  calf,  at  the  instant  when  it  comes  into  the  world, 
will  fly  to  the  water  for  shelter  if  pursued  ;  a  circum- 
stance which  Thunburg  notices  as  a  remarkable  in- 
st&nce  of  pure  ir  stinct. 

THE    ELK    AND    THE    RAIN-DEER. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Elk  and  the  Rain-deer  are  two  ani- 
mals of  a  different  species,  we  have  thought  proper  to 
unite  them,  because  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  write  the 
history  of  the  one,  without  borrowing  a  great  deal  from 
the  other. 

It  appears  by  positive  testimonies,  that  the  Rain-deer 
formerly  existed  in  France,  at  least  in  the  high  moun- 
tains, such  as  the  Pyrenean,  and,  since  that  time,  has 
been  destroyed  like  the  stags,  who  were  heretofore 
common  in  that  country.*  It  is  certain  that  the  Rain- 
deer  is  now  actually  to  be  found  only  in  the  most 
northern  countries  ;  we  also  know,  that  the  climate  of 
France  was  formerly  much  more  damp  and  cold,  occa- 
sioned by  the  number  of  woods  and  morasses,  which 
are  no  longer  to  be  seen.  Gaul,  under  the  same  lati- 

*This  assertion  has  recently  been  discovered  to  be  incorrect  It  is  founded  on 
a  misprint  in  a  Treatise  on  Hunting,  by  Gaston  de  Foil.  The  printed  copies  say 
itiatthe  writer  had  seen  the  Rain-deer  in  "  JWaurienneand  Pueudere,"  that  is, 
in  Savoy  and  Beam;  but  the  MS.,  which  M.  Cuvier  has  since  consulted,  say* 
'  Nourvegueand  Xuedene,"  which  means  Norway  and  Sweden. 


ELK,  OR  MOOSE.       p.   14(.J 


THE    ELK    AND    THE    RAIN-DEER.  147 

tude  as  Canada,  was.,  two  thousand  years  ago,  what 
Canada  is  at  this  present  time  ;  that  is,  a  climate  cold 
enough  for  those  ani.Tials  to  live  in. 

The  Elk  and  the  Rain-deer,  then,  are  only  founu  in 
the  northern  countries  ;  the  Elk  on  this,  and  the  Rain- 
deer  on  the  other  side  of  the  polar  circle  in  Europe 
and  in  Asia.  We  find  them  in  America  in  the  highest 
latitudes,  because  the  cold  is  greater  there  than  in  Eu- 
rope. The  Rain-deer  can  bear  even  the  most  exces- 
sive cold.  He  is  found  in  Spitsbergen  ;  he  is  common 
in  Greenland,  and  in  the  most  northern  parts  of  Lap- 
land :  thus  also,  in  the  most  northern  parts  of  Asia, 
the  Elk  does  not  approach  so  near  the  pole;  he  inha- 
bits Norway,  Sweden,  Poland,  Russia,  and  all  the  pro- 
vinces of  Siberia  and  Tartary,  with  the  north  of  Chi- 
na. We  again  find  him  by  the  name  of  original,  and 
the  Rain-deer  under  that  of  caribou  in  Canada,  and  in 
all  the  northern  parts  of  America. 

We  may  form  a  sufficiently  just  idea  of  the  Elk  and 
the  Rain-deer,  by  comparing  them  with  the  stag.  The 
Elk  is  larger,  stronger,  and  stands  more  erect  upon 
his  legs ;  his  neck  is  shorter,  his  hair  longer,  and  his 
antlers  wider  and  heavier  than  those  of  the  stag;  the 
Rain-deer  is  shorter  and  more  squat ;  his  legs  are 
shorter  and  thicker,  and  his  feet  wider;  the  hair  very 
thickly  furnished,  and  his  antlers  much  longer,  and  di- 
vided into  a  greater  number  of  branches,  with  flat  ter- 
minations ;  while  those  of  the  Elk  are  only  (if  the  ex- 
pression is  allowed)  cut  or  broached  at  the  edges  ;  both 
have  long  hair  under  the  neck,  and  both  have  short 
tails,  and  ears  much  longer  than  the  stag  ;  they  do  not 
leap  or  bound  like  the  roe-bucks  ;  but  their  pace  is  a 
kind  of  trot,  so  easy  and  quick,  that  they  go  over 
almost  as  much  ground,  in  the  same  time  as  the  stags 
do,  without  being  so  much  fatigued  ;  for  they  can  trot 
in  this  manner  for  a  day  or  two.  The  Rain-deer  lives 
upon  the  mountains  ;  the  stag  only  dwells  in  low  lands 
and  damp  forests  ;  both  go  in  herds,  like  the  stags,  and 
both  can  be  easily  tamed,  but  the  Rain-deer  with  great- 
er ease  than  the  Elk  ;  the  last,  like  the  stag,  has  not 
lost  his  liberty,  while  the  Rain-deer  is  become  do- 
mestic  among  the  enlightened  part  of  mankind.  The 
Laplanders  have  no  other  beast.  In  this  icy  climate, 
which  oily  receiv*?8  the  oblique  rays  of  the  sun,  where 


148  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

there  is  a  season  of  night  as  well  as  day,  where  the 
snow  covers  the  earth  from  the  beginning  of  autumn 
to  the  end  of  spring,  and  where  the  verdure  of  the 
summer  consists  in  the  bramble,  juniper,  and  moss, 
could  man  form  any  idea  but  of  famine  ?  The  horse, 
the  ox,  the  sheep,  all  our  useful  animals,  find  no  sub- 
sistence there,  nor  can  resist  the  rigour  of  the  cold  : 
he  has  been  obliged  to  search  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  forest,  for  the  least  wild  and  most  profitable  ani- 
mals. The  Laplanders  have  done  what  we  ourselves 
should  do,  if  we  were  to  lose  our  cattle  :  we  should 
then  be  obliged  to  tame  the  stags  and  the  roe-bucks  of 
the  forests,  to  supply  their  place  ;  and  I  am  persuaded 
we  should  gain  our  point,  and  we  should  presently  learn 
to  draw  as  much  utility  from  them  as  the  Laplanders 
do  from  the  Rain-deer.  We  ought  to  be  sensible,  by 
this  example,  how  far  Nature  has  extended  her  libe- 
rality towards  us.  We  do  not  make  use  of  all  the 
riches  which  she  offers  us  :  the  fund  is  much  more  im- 
mense than  we  imagine.  She  has  bestowed  on  us  the 
horse,  the  ox,  the  sheep,  and  all  our  other  domestic  ani- 
mals, to  serve  us,  to  feed  us,  and  to  clothe  us  ;  and  she 
has,  besides,  species  in  reserve,  which  would  be  able 
to  supply  this  defect,  and  which  would  only  require 
us  to  subject  them,  and  to  make  them  useful  to  our 
wants.  Man  does  not  sufficiently  know  what  Nature 
can  do,  nor  what  can  be  done  with  her.  Instead  of 
seeking  for  what  he  does  not  know,  he  likes  better  to 
abuse  her  in  what  he  does  know. 

In  comparing  the  advantages  which  the  Laplanders 
derive  from  the  tame  Rain-deer,  with  those  which  we 
derive  from  our  domestic  animals,  we  shall  see  that 
this  animal  is  worth  two  or  three  of  them  :  he  is  used, 
as  horses  are,  to  draw  sledges  and  other  carriages; 
he  travels  with  great  speed  and  swiftness  ;  he  easily 
goes  a  hundred  miles  a  day,  and  runs  with  as  much 
certainty  upon  frozen  snow  as  upon  the  mossy  down. 
The  female  affords  milk  more  substantial,  and  more 
nourishing  than  that  of  the  cow ;  the  flesh  is  very 
good  to  eat;  his  coat  makes  an  excellent  fur;  and  his 
dressed  hide  becomes  a  very  supple  and  very  durable 
leather.  Spoons  are  also  made  of  his  bones,  bowstrings 
and  thread  of  his  tendons,  and  glue  is  manufactured 
from  his  horns.  Thus  th •?  Rain-deer  alone  affords 


THE    ELK    AND    THE    RAIN-DEER.  »       149 

all  that  we  derive  from  the  horse,  the  ox,  and  the 
sheep. 

With  from  three  to  five  hundred  Deer,  a  Laplander 
can  live  iia  tolerable  comfort ;  with  two  hundred  he 
may,  by  management,  contrive  to  get  on  ;  but  with  a 
hundred  his  subsistence  is  precarious ;  and  with  only 
fifty,  he  must  be  content  to  be  the  partner,  or  rather 
servant,  of  some  more  fortunate  individual. 

The  antlers  of  the  Rain-deer  are  larger,  more  ex- 
tended, and  divided  into  a  greater  number  of  branches 
than  those  of  the  stag.  His  food,  in  the  winter  season, 
is  a  white  moss  (the  lichen  rangeferinus),  which  he 
finds  under  the  snow,  and  which  he  ploughs  up  with 
his  horns,  or  digs  up  with  his  feet.  When  the  snow 
is  too  deep  for  them  to  obtain  this  article,  they  resort 
to  another  lichen  that  hangs  on  pine  trees ;  and  in 
severe  seasons  the  boors  often  cut  down  some  thou- 
sands of  these  trees  to  furnish  subsistence  to  their 
herds. 

In  summer,  he  lives  upon  the  buds  and  leaves  of 
trees,  rather  than  herbs,  which  his  forward-spreading 
antlers  will  not  permit  him  to  brouse  on  with  facility. 
He  runs  upon  the  snow,  and  sinks  but  little,  on  account 
of  his  broad  feet.  These  animals  are  mild  ;  and  they 
bring  them  up  in  herds,  which  turns  out  greatly  to  the 
profit  of  their  keepers.  The  richest  Laplanders  have 
herds  of  four  or  five  hundred  head  of  Rain-deer,  and 
the  poor  have  ten  or  twelve.  They  lead  them  to  pas- 
ture, and  relead  them  to  the  stable,  or  shut  them  up 
in  parks  during  the  night,  to  shelter  them  from  the 
outrages  of  the  wolves.  If  they  attempt  to  change 
their  climate,  they  die  in  a  short  time.  Formerly 
Steno,  prince  of  Sweden,  sent  six  to  Frederick,  duke 
of  Holstein ;  and,  of  later  date,  in  1533,  Gustavus, 
king  of  Sweden,  had  ten  brought  over  to  Prussia,  both 
males  and  females:  al  perished,  without  producing  any 
young,  either  in  a  domestic  or  in  a  free  state.  Many 
fruitless  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce  them 
into  England.  There  is,  however,  at  present  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens  one  specimen,  which  was  placed 
there  in  1828,  and  appears  to  be  still  in  a  thriving 
condition. 

There  are  both  wild  and  tame  Rain-deer  in  Lapland. 
In  the  time  the  heat  is  upon  thr  tame  females,  they 
13* 


150  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

sometimes  let  them  loose,  to  seek  the  wild  males; 
and,  as  these  wild  males  are  more  robust,  and  stronger 
than  the  tame,  the  issues  of  this  mixture  are  preferred 
for  harness.  These  Rain-deer  are  not  so  gentle  as  the 
others ;  for  they  not  only  sometimes  refuse  to  obey 
those  who  guide  them,  but  they  often  turn  furiously 
upon  them,  and  attack  them  with  their  feet,  so  that 
there  is  no  other  resource  than  to  cover  themselveg 
from  their  rage  by  the  sledge,  until  the  fury  of  the 
beast  is  subsided.  This  sledge  is  so  light,  that  they 
can  easily  manage  it,  and  cover  themselves  with  it. 
The  bottom  of  it  is  lined  with  the  skins  of  young 
Rain-deers  ;  the  hairy  side  is  turned  against  the  snow, 
so  that  the  sledge  glides  easily  forwards,  and  recoils 
less  on  the  mountains.  The  harness  of  the  Rain-deer 
is  only  a  thong  of  the  hide,  with  the  hairs  remaining 
on  it,  round  the  neck,  whence  it  descends  towards  the 
breast,  passes  under  the  belly,  between  the  legs,  and 
is  fastened  to  a  hole  which  is  in  the  forepart  of  the 
sledge.  The  Laplander  has- only  a  single  cord  by 
which  to  guide  the  animal,  and  which  he  throws  in- 
differently upon  the  back  of  the  beast,  sometimes  on 
one  side,  and  sometimes  on  the  other,  according  as  he 
would  direct  him  to  the  right  or  to  the  left.  They  can 
travel  ten  miles  an  hour;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
them  to  make  journeys  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in 
nineteen  hours  ;  at  their  utmost  speed,  and  for  a  short 
time,  they  can  accomplish  nearly  twenty  miles  within 
the  hour ;  but  the  quicker  the  method  of  travelling  is, 
the  more  it  is  inconvenient ;  a  person  must  be  well 
accustomed  to  it  and  travel  often,  to  be  able  to  direct 
the  sledge,  and  prevent  it  from  turning  over.  They 
can  draw  three  hundred  pounds,  but  the  Laplanders 
usually  limit  the  burthen  to  two  hundred  and  forty 
pounds. 

The  Rain-deers  have  outwardly  many  things  in  com- 
mon with  the  stags ;  and  the  formation  of  the  interior 
parts  is  the  same.  The  Rain-deer  sheds  his  antlers 
every  year  like  the  stag,  and,  like  him,  is  very  good 
venison.  The  females,  both  of  the  one  and  the  other 
species,  go  eight  months  with  young,  and  produce  but 
one  at  a  birth.  The  young  Rain-deer  follows  his 
mother  during  the  first  two  or  three  years,  and  does 
not  attain  his  grow.h  till  about  the  age  of  four  or  five. 


THE    ELK    AND    THE    RAIN-DEER.  151 

It  is  at  this  age  that  they  begin  to  dress  and  exercise 
them  for  labour. 

The  Rain-deers  are  all  very  spirited,  and  very  dif- 
ficult to  manage;  they  therefore  make  use  only  of 
those  which  are  castrated,  among  vvhic^  they  choose 
the  liveliest  and  the  swiftest  to  draw  their  sledges,  and 
the  more  heavy  to  travel  with  their  provision  and  bag- 
gage at  a  slower  pace.  These  animals  are  troubled 
with  an  insect,  called  the  gad-fly,  during  the  summer 
season,  which,  burrowing  under  their  skins  the  pre- 
ceding summer,  deposit  their  eggs ;  so  that  the  skin 
of  the  Rain-deer  is  often  so  filled  with  small  holes, 
that  an  incurable  disorder  is  brought  on.  So  formi- 
dable are  the  attacks  of  these  insects,  that  in  June, 
July,  and  August,  the  Laplander  is  compelled  to  mi- 
grate with  his  Deer  from  the  forests  to  the  mountains  ; 
without  which  precaution  he  would  run  the  risk  of 
losing  the  major  part  of  his  herd. 

The  herds  of 'this  species  require  a  great  deal  of 
care.  The  Rain-deer  are  subject  to  elope,  and  volun- 
tarily renew  their  natural  liberty  :  they  must  be  closely 
attended,  and  narrowly  watched ;  they  cannot  lead 
them  to  pasture  but  in  open  places ;  and,  in  case  the 
herd  are  numerous,  they  have  need  of  many  persons 
to  guard  them,  to  recall  them,  and  to  run  after  them  if 
they  stray.  They  are  all  marked,  that  they  may  be 
known  again;  for  it  often  happens  that  they  stray  in 
the  woods,  or  mix  among  another  herd.  In  short,  the 
Laplanders  are  continually  occupied  in  the  care  of 
their  Rain-deer,  which  constitute  all  their  wealth. 

The  Rain-deer  is  the  only  animal  of  this  species  the 
female  of  which  has  horns  like  the  male  ;  and  the  only 
one  also  which  sheds  his  horns,  and  renews  them  again, 
notwithstanding  his  castration ;  for,  in  stags,  fallow- 
deer,  and  roe-bucks,  who  have  undergone  this  opera- 
tion, the  head  of  the  animal  remains  always  ia  the 
same  state  in  which  it  was  the  moment  it  was  castrated. 

Another  singularity  which  we  must  not  omit,  and 
which  is  common  to  the  Rain-deer  and  the  Elk,  is, 
that  when  these  animals  run,  or  quicken  their  pace, 
their  hoofs,  at  every  step, .make  a  crackling  nois>e,  as 
if  all  the  joints  of  their  legs  were  disjointing.  It  is 
this  noise,  or  perhaps  the  scent,  which  informs  the 
wolves  of  their  approach,  who  run  out  to  meet  and 


152  XATITKAL   HISTORY 

seize  them;  and,  if  the  wolves  are  many  ,n  number. 
they  very  often  conquer.  The  Rain-dee:  is  able  to 
defend  himself  against  a  single  wolf,  not,  as  may  be 
imagined,  with  his  horns  (for  they  are  rather  of  a'dis- 
service  to  him  than  of  use),  but  with  his  fore  feet,  which 
are  very  strong,  and  with  which  he  strikes  with  such 
force,  as  to  stun  the  wolf,  or  drive  him  away  ;  aftei 
which  he  flies  with  such  speed,  as  to  be  no  longer  in 
any  danger  of  being  overtaken :  but  he  finds  a  more 
dangerous,  though  a  less  frequent  and  less  numerous 
enemy  than  the  wolf,  in  the  rosomack,  or  glutton. 

The  Elk  and  the  Rain-deer  are  both  among  the  num- 
ber of  ruminating  animals. 

A  tame  Rain-deer  lives  only  to  the  age  of  fifteen  or 
sixteen  years  ;  but  it  is  to  be  presumed,  that  the  life  of 
the  wild  Rain-deer  is  of  much  longer  duration.  This 
animal,  being  four  years  before  he  arrives  at  his  full 
growth,  must  live  twenty-eight  or  thirty  years,  when 
he  is  in  his  natural  state.  The  Laplanders  hunt  the 
wild  Rain-deers  by  different  methods,  according  to  the 
difference  of  seasons.  In  rutting  time,  they  make  use 
of  a  tame  female  to  attract  them.  They  kill  them  by 
the  musket,  or  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  and  draw  the 
bow  with  such  strength,  that  notwithstanding  the 
thickness  of  the  hair,  and  the  firmness  of  the  hide, 
they  very  often  kill  one  of  these  beasts  with  a  single 
arrow. 

The  mode  in  which  the  Dog-rib  Indians  kill  the 
Rain-deer  is  curious.  The  hunters  go  in  pairs,  the 
foremost  man  carrying  in  one  hand  the  horns  and  part 
of  the  skin  of  the  head  of  a  deer,  and  in  the  other  a 
small  bundle  of  twigs,  against  which  he,  from  time  to 
time,  rubs  the  horns,  imitating  the  gestures  peculiar  to 
the  animal.  His  comrade  follows,  treading  exactly  in 
his  footsteps,  and  holding  the  guns  of  both  in  a  hori- 
zontal position,  so  that  the  muzzles  project  under  the 
arms  of  him  who  carries  the  head.  Both  hunters  have 
a  fillet  of  white  skin  round  their  foreheads,  and  the 
foremost  has  a  strip  of  the  same  round  his  wrists. 
They  approach  the  herd  by  degrees,  raising  their  legs 
very  slowly,  but  setting  them  down  somewhat  sud- 
denly, after  the  manner  of  a  deer,  and  always  taking 
care  to  lift  their  right  or  left  foot  simultaneously.  If 
any  of  the  herd  leave  off  feeding  to  gaze  upon  this 


THE    ELK    AND    THE    RAIN-DEER.  153 

extraordinary  phenomenon,  it  instantly  stops,  and  the 
head  begins  to  play  its  part  by  licking  its  shoulders, 
and  performing  other  necessary  movements.  In  this 
way  the  hunters  attain  the  very  centre  of  the  herd, 
without  exciting  suspicion,  and  have  leisure  to  single 
out  the  fattest.  The  hindmost  man  then  pushes  for- 
ward his  comrade's  gun,  the  head  is  dropped,  and  they 
both  fire  nearly  at  the  same  instant.  The  deer  scam- 
per off,  the  hunters  trot  after  them  :  in  a  short  time 
the  poor  animals  halt,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  their 
terror;  their  foes  stop  at  the  same  moment,  and,  having 
loaded  as  they  ran,  greet  the  gazer  with  a  second  fatal 
discharge.  The  consternation  of  the  deer  increases  ; 
they  run  to  and  fro  in  the  utmost  confusion,  and  some- 
times a  great  part  of  the  herd  is  destroyed  within  the 
space  of  a  few  hundred  yards. 

In  general,  the  ELK  is  much  larger  and  a  much 
stronger  animal  than  the  Stag  and  the  Rain-deer.  It 
is  usually  larger,  both  in  height  and  bulk  than  the 
horse.  His  hair  is  so  rough,  and  his  hide  so  hard,  that 
a  musket  ball  cannot  penetrate  it.  His  legs  are  very 
firm,  with  so  much  motion  and  strength,  especially  in 
the  fore  feet,  that  he  can  kill  a  man  by  one  single  stroke 
of  his  foot ;  nevertheless,  he  is  hunted  nearly  as  we 
hunt  the  stag ;  that  is,  with  men  and  dogs.  It  is 
affirmed,  that,  when  he  is  touched  with  the  lance,  or 
pursued,  it  happens  that  he  often  falls  down  all  at  once, 
without  either  being  pulled  down  or  wounded.  From 
this  circumstance,  some  have  presumed  he  was  subject 
to  the  epilepsy  ;  and  on  this  presumption,  which  is  not 
well  founded  (since  fear  alone  might  be  able  to  produce 
the  same  effect,)  this  absurd  consequence  has  been 
drawn,  that  his  hoof  is  a  remedy  for  the  epilepsy,  and 
even  preserves  persons  from  it.  His  pace,  when  dis- 
turbed, is  a  rapid  kind  of  trot.  In  walking  he  lifts  his 
feet  very  high,  and  can,  without  difficulty,  step  over  a 
gate  that  is  five  feet  high. 

As  there  are  very  few  people  in  the  northern  parts 
of  America,  all  animals,  and  particularly  Elks,  are  in 
greater  numbers  than  in  the  north  of  Europe.  The? 
savages  are  not  ignorant  of  the  art  of  hunting  and 
taking  them  ;  they  follow  them  by  the  track  of  their 
feet,  very  often  for  many  days  together,  and  by  con- 
stancy and  dexterity,  they  often  gain  tl.  *ir  end  Their 


154  NATUltAL    HISTORY 

method  of  hunting  them  in  winter  is  partici  larly  sin- 
gular : — "  They  make  use  of  rackets,  or  snow-shoes,' 
says  Denys,  "  by  means  of  which  they  walk  upon  the 
snow  without  sinking  in.  The  Orignal  does  not  cover 
a  deal  of  ground,  because  of  his  sinking  in  the  snow, 
which  greatly  fatigues  him ;  he  eats  nothing  but  the 
young  shoots  of  the  trees  during  the  whole  year;  there- 
fore, where  the  savages  find  the  trees  eaten,  they  pre- 
sently meet  with  the  beasts,  which  they  approach  very 
easily.  They  throw  a  dart  at  them,  which  is  a  large 
club,  at  the  end  of  which  is  fastened  a  large  pointed 
bone,  which  pierces  like  a  sword.  If  there  are  many 
Orignals  in  one  troop,  they  drive  them  away  ;  for  then, 
the  Orignals,  placing  themselves  in  a  rank,  describe  a 
large  circle  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  or  two  miles,  and 
sometimes  more.  They  harden  the  snow  so  much  with 
their  feet  in  turning  round,  that  they  no  longer  sink  in. 
The  savages  in  America  wait  for  their  passing  them, 
and  then  throw  their  darts,  and  kill  them." 

None  of  the  deer  tribe  are  so  easily  tamed  as  thi# 
animal,  which  is  naturally  gentle  ;  and  when  he  is  once 
domesticated  he  manifests  great  affection  for  his  mas- 
ter. In  the  state  of  New-York,  a  successful  attempt 
has  been  made  to  employ  Elks  in  the  labours  of  agri- 
culture. The  Indians  believe  that  there  exists  a  gigan- 
tic Elk,  which  can  walk  without  difficulty  in  eight  feet 
of  snow,  is  invulnerable  to  all  weapons,  and  has  an  arm 
growing  out  of  its  shoulder,  which  it  uses  as  we  do 
ours.  They  consider  him  as  the  king  of  the  Elks,  and 
imagine  that  he  is  attended  by  numerous  courtiers. 
With  them  the  Elk  is  also  an  animal  of  good  omen, 
and  to  dream  of  him  often  is  looked  upon  as  an  indi- 
cation of  long  life. 

THE  MALAYAN   RUSA   DEER. 

THIS  animal,  to  which  his  keepers  give  the  name  of 
the  Samboo  Deer,  is  a  native  of  India  and  of  the  Indian 
islands.  "  He  is  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  dark  cinereous 
brown  above,  nearly  black  on  the  throat  and  breast, 
and  light  fawn,  intermixed  with  dirty  white,  on  the 
inside  of  the  limbs.  His  eyes  are  surrounded  by  a  fawn 
coloured  disc,  and  patches  of  the  same  colour  occupy 
the  fore  knees,  and  a  space  above  each  of  thfc  hoofs  in 


THE  MALAYAN  Rt  iA  DEER.  155 

front.  His  nose,  which  is  black,  is  envelopes  in  an 
extensive  muzzle ;  his  ears  are  nearly  naked  on  the 
inside,  and  marked  by  a  patch  of  dirty  white  at  the  base 
externally ;  and  his  mane,  which  spreads  downwards 
over  the  neck  and  throat,  is  remarkably  thick  and 
heavy.  His  tail  is  black  above,  and  light  fawn  be- 
neath ;  and  a  disc  of  the  latter  colour  occupies  the  pos- 
terior part  of  the  buttocks,  having  on  each  side  a  black- 
ish line  which  separates  it  from  the  lighter  tinge  of  the 
inside  of  the  thighs.  His  horns,  when  properly  grown, 
consist  of  a  broad  burr,  from  which  the  pointed  basal 
antler  rises  almost  perpendicularly  to  the  extent  of 
nine  or  ten  inches ;  of  a  stem,  which  is  first  directed 
outwards,  and  then  forms  a  bold  curve  inwards ;  and 
of  a  snag,  or  second  antler  of  smaller  size,  arising  from 
the  stem  near  its  extremity  on  the  posterior  and  inter- 
nal side,  and  forming  with  it  a  terminal  fork,  the 
branch,  however,  being  shorter  than  the  stem,  and  not 
exceeding  five  or  six  inches  in  length.  The  entire 
length  of  the  horns  is  about  two,  (uet ;  they  are  of  a 
dark  colour,  very  strong,  and  deeply  furrowed  through- 
cut. 

"  The  foregoing  description  of  the  horns,  it  should 
be  observed,  is  taken  from  those  of  the  year  before 
last,  which  were  of  the  genuine  or  normal  form. 
Those  of  the  last  year,  were,  from  some  cause  or  other, 
remarkably  different,  that  of  the  right  side  exhibit- 
ing a  singular  monstrosity  in  the  production  of  addi- 
tional branches  of  irregular  form.  Whether  this  was 
the  effect  of  disease,  or  of  advancing  age,  or  whether 
it  arose  solely  from  some  accidental  and  temporary 
cause,  will  probably  be  determined  by  the  growth  of 
the  present  year,  which  is  not  yet  sufficiently  advanced 
to  enable  us  to  ascertain  the  probable  form." 

When  first  brought  to  England,  the  individual  ranged 
at  liberty,  with  another  of  the  same  species,  in  the 
great  park  at  Windsor.  So  violent,  however,  were 
their  quarrels,  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  separate 
them,  and  this  was  consigned  to  the  Tower.  He  is 
HOW  exceedingly  tame. 


156  NATURAL    HISTORY. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Of  the  Ilex,  the  Chamois,  and  other  Goats — The 
Saiga — The  Antelope,  or  Gazelle — Of  the  Bezoar 
Stone — Of  the  Bubalus,  or  Stag-like  Antelope — The 
Condoma,  or  Striped  Antelope — The  Guib,  or  Har- 
nessed Antelope — The  Grimm — The  Indian  Ante- 
lope—  The  Chevrotins — The  Mazame,  and  Temema- 
zame — The  Coudous — The  Gnu — The  Nyl-ghau — 
The  Musk — The  Production  of  that  Perfume. 

THE    IBEX,    THE    CHAMOIS,    AND    OTHER    GOATS. 

ALTHOUGH  it  appears  that  the  Greeks  were  acquaint- 
ed with  the  Ibex  and  the  Chamois,  yet  they  have  not 
described  them  by  any  particular  denomination,  nor 
even  by  characters  sufficiently  exact  for  them  to  be 
distinguished  :  they  have  only  indicated  them  under 
the  general  name  of  Wild  Goats.*  They  probably 
presumed,  that  these  animals  were  of  the  same  species 
as  the  domestic  Goats,  as  they  have  not  given  them 
proper  names,  as  they  have  done  to  every  other  dill'er- 
ent  species  of  animals  ;  on  the  contrary,  all  our  mo- 
dern naturalists  have  regarded  the  Ibex  and  the  Chamois 
as  two  real  and  distinct  species,  and  both  of  them  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  our  Goats. 

The  male  Ibex  differs  from  the  Chamois,  by  the 
length,  the  thickness,  arid  the  form  of  the  horns  ;  it  is 
also  much  more  bulky,  vigorous,  and  strong.  The 
female  Ibex  has  horns  different  from  the  male  ;  they 
are  also  much  smaller,  and  nearly  resembling  those  of 
the  Chamois.  In  other  respects,  these  two  animals 
have  the  same  customs,  the  same  manners,  and  the 
same  country  ;  only  the  Ibex,  as  he  is  endowed  with 
more  agility,  and  is  stronger  than  the  Chamois,  climbs 
to  the  summit  of  the  highest  mountains ;  while  the 
Chamois  only  lives  in  the  second  stage  ;  but  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other  is  to  be  found  in  the  plains  ;  both 
make  their  way  on  the  snow ;  both  ascend  precipices 
by  bounding  from  rock  to  rock  ;  both  are  covered  with 

•Later  naturalists  have  formed  the  antelopes  into  a  separate  genus,  interme- 
diate between  the  goats  and  the  deer.  The  Chamois  is  the  Antilope  Rupif.auni 
of  Linnaaus  and  Pallns.  The  Ibex  is  a  goat,  the  Capra  Ibex  of  Linneeua. 


IBEX  HUNTERS.      P.  158. 


THE    IBEX,    THE    CHAMOIS,    ETC.  157 

a  firm  and  a  solid  skin,  and  clothed,  in  winter,  with  a 
double  fir,  with  very  rough  hair  outwardly,  and  a  finer 
and  thicker  hair  underneath  ;  both  of  them  have  a 
black  stripe  on  the  back,  and  both  likewise  have  the 
tail  nearly  of  the  same  size.  The  number  of  exterior 
resemblances  is  so  great,  in  comparison  with  the  dif- 
ferences, and  the  conformity  of  the  exterior  parts  is  so 
complete,  that  if  we  reason  in  consequence  of  these 
accounts,  we  might  be  led  to  believe,  that  these  two 
animals  are  not  really  of  a  different  species,  but  that 
they  are  simply  only  constant  varieties  of  one  and  the 
same  species.  The  Ibex,  as  well  as  the  Chamois, 
when  taken  young  and  brought  up  with  domestic  Goats, 
are  easily  tamed  ;  and,  accustomed  to  domesticity,  im- 
bibe the  same  manners,  herd  together,  return  to  the 
stable,  and  probably  procreate  together.  I  avow, 
however,  that  this  fact,  the  most  important  of  all,  and 
which  alone  would  decide  the  question,  is  not  known 
to  us. 

Let  us,  nevertheless,  take  a  view  of  the  opposite 
reasons.  The  species  of  the  Ibex  and  the  Chamois 
both  subsist  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  both  are  con- 
stantly distinct.  The  Chamois  sometimes  comes,  of 
his  own  accord,  and  joins  the  stock  of  our  domestic 
sheep.  The  Ibex  never  joins  them,  at  least  not  before  it 
is  tamed.  The  Ibex  and  the  he  Goat  have  a  very  long 
beard,  and  the  Chamois  has  none  at  all ;  the  male  and 
female  Chamois  have  very  small  horns  ;  those  of  the 
male  Ibex  are  so  thick  and  long,  that  they  would 
scarcely  be  imagined  to  belong  to  an  animal  of  its  size. 
The  horns  of  the  male  Ibex  are  not  very  different  from 
those  of  the  Goat ;  as  the  female,  however,  approaches 
our  Goat  and  even  the  Chamois  in  the  size  and 
smallness  of  the  horns,  may  we  not  conclude,  that 
these  animals,  the  Chamois  and  the  domestic  Goat, 
are,  in  fact,  but  one  and  the  same  species,  in  which 
the  nature  of  the  females,  is  invariable  and  alike,  while 
the  males  are  subject  to  varieties,  which  render  them 
different  one  from  the  other  ? 

The  Ibex,  or  wild  Goat,  entirely  and  exactly  resem- 
bles the  domestic  Goat,  in  the  conformation,  the  organ- 
ization, and  the  natural  and  physical  habits ;  it  only 
varies  by  two  slight  differences ;  the  one  externally, 
and  the  other  infernally.  The  horns  of  the  Ibex  are 

VoL.II— 14. 


156  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

longer  than  those  of  the  he  Goat ;  they  have  two  lon- 
gitudinal ridges ;  those  of  the  Goat  have  but  one  ;  they 
have  also  thick  knots,  or  transverse  tubercles,  which 
mark  the  number  of  years  of  their  growth,  while  those 
of  the  Goats  are  only  marked  with  transverse  strokes. 
The  Ibex  runs  as  fast  as  the  stag,  and  leaps  lighter 
than  the  roebuck.  All  Goats  are  liable  to  vertigoes, 
which  are  common  to  them  with  the  Ibex  and  the  Cha- 
mois, as  well  as  the  inclination  to  climb  up  rocks ;  and 
still  another  custom,  which  is  that  of  continually  lick- 
ing the  stones,  especially  those  which  are  strongly  im- 
pregnated with  saltpetre,  or  common  salt.  In  the  Alps 
there  are  rocks  which  have  been  hollowed  by  the 
tongue  of  the  Chamois.  These  are  commonly  soft  and 
calcinable  stones,  in  which,  as  is  well  known,  there  is 
always  a  certain  quantity  of  nitre.  These  natural 
agreements,  these  conformable  customs,  among  other 
circumstances,  appear  to  me  to  be  sufficient  indexes  of 
the  identity  of  species  in  these  animals. 

The  Ibex  and  the  Chamois,  one  of  which  I  look  upon 
as  the  male,  and  the  other  as  the  female  stock  of  the 
Goat  species,  are  only  found,  like  the  moufflon,  which 
is  the  source  of  the  sheep  species,  in  deserts,  and  upon 
the  most  craggy  places  of  the  highest  mountains  :  the 
Alps,  the  Pyrenees,  the  mountains  of  Greece,  and  those 
of  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  are  almost  the  only 
places  where  the  Ibex  and  the  Chamois  are  to  be  found. 
But,  although  both  these  animals  dislike  heat,  and  only 
inhabit  the  region  of  snow  and  ice,  yet  they  have  also 
an  aversion  to  excessive  cold.  In  the  summer,  they 
choose  the  north  of  the  mountains  ;  in  winter,  they 
descend  into  the  valleys  ;  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
can  support  themselves  on  their  legs  upon  the  ice, 
when  it  is  smooth ;  but,  if  there  be  the  least  inequali- 
ties on  its  surface,  they  bound  along  with  security. 

The  chase  of  these  animals  is  very  troublesome,  and 
dogs  are  entirely  useless  in  it ;  it  is  likewise  very  dan- 
gerous to  men  ;  for  sometimes  the  animal,  finding  itself 
hard  pushed,  turns  and  strikes  the  hunter,  and  precipi- 
tates him  from  the  rock,  unless  he  has  time  to  lie  down, 
and  let  the  creature  bound  over  him.  If  the  pursuit 
be  continued,  this  animal  will  throw  himself  down  the 
steepest  declivities,  and  fall  upon  his  horns  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  escape  unhurt. 


THE   CHAMOIS.  159 

M.  Perond,  surveyor  of  the  crysval  mines  in  the 
Alps,  having  brought  over  a  living  Chamois,  has  given 
us  the  following  information  on  the  natural  habits  of 
this  animal  : — "  The  Chamois  is  a  wild  animal,  but 
easily  tamed,  and  very  docile.  It  is  about  the  size  of 
a  domestic  goat,  and  resembles  one  in  many  respects. 
It  is  most  agreeably  lively,  and  active  beyond  expres- 
sion. Its  hair  is  short,  like  that  of  the  doe  ;  in  spring 
it  is  of  an  ash  colour,  and  in  winter  of  a  blackish 
brown.  The  large  males  keep  themselves  apart  from 
the  rest,  except  in  their  rutting  time.  The  time  of 
their  coupling  is  from  the  beginning  of  October  to  the 
end  of  November  ;  and  they  bring  forth  in  April  and 
March.  The  young  follows  the  dam  for  about  five 
months,  and  sometimes  longer,  if  the  hunters,  or  the 
wolves,  do  not  separate  them.  It  is  asserted  that  they 
live  between  twenty  and  thirty  years.  The  flesh  of 
the  Chamois  is  good  to  eat ;  and  some  of  the  fattest 
afford  ten  or  twelve  pounds  of  suet,  which  far  surpasses 
that  of  the  goat  in  solidity  and  goodness. 

The  cry  of  the  Chamois  is  not  distinctly  known ; 
if  it  has  any,  it  is  but  faint,  and  resembling  that  of  a 
hoarse  goat ;  it  is  by  this  cry  it  calls  its  young  ;  but, 
when  they  are  frightened,  or  are  in  danger  of  any 
enemy,  or  some  other  object  not  perfectly  known  to 
them,  they  warn  the  rest  of  the  flock  by  a  kind  of  hiss- 
ing noise.  It  is  observable,  that  the  Chamois  has  a 
very  penetrating  eye,  and  its  hearing  and  smell  are  not 
less  distinguishing.  When  it  finds  an  enemy  near,  it 
stops  for  a  moment,  and  then  in  an  instant  flies  off  with 
the  utmost  speed.  When  the  wind  is  in  its  favour,  it 
can  smell  a  human  creature  for  more  than  half  a  mile 
distance.  When  this  happens,  therefore,  and  it  cannot 
see  its  enemy,  but  only  discovers  his  approach  by  the 
scent,  it  begins  the  hissing  noise  with  such  force,  that 
the  rocks  and  the  forests  reecho  with  the  sound.  This 
hissing  continues  as  long  as  the  breath  will  permit.  In 
the  beginning  it  is  very  shrill,  and  deeper  towards  the 
close.  This  animal  then  rests  a  moment,  after  this 
alarm,  to  inspect  farther  into  its  danger :  and,  having 
confirmed  the  reality  of  its  suspicion,  it  commences  to 
hiss  by  intervals,  till  it  has  spread  the  alarm  to  a  great 
distance.  During  this  time,  it  is  in  the  most  violent 
agitation,  strikes  the  ground  forcibly  with  its  fora  foot, 


160  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

and  sometimes  with  both;  it  bounds  from  rc<k  to  rock, 
it  turns,  and  looks  round  ;  it  turns  to  the  edge  of  the 
precipice,  and  when  it  has  obtained  a  sight  of  the 
enemy,  flies  from  it-with  all  its  speed.  The  hissing  of 
the  male  is  much  more  acute  than  that  of  the  female; 
it  is  performed  through  the  nostrils,  and  is,  properly, 
no  more  than  a  very  strong  breath,  forced  through  the 
nostrils  by  fixing  the  tongue  to  the  palate,  keeping  the 
teeth  nearly  shut,  the  lips  open,  and  a  little  lengthened. 
Their  agility  is  wonderful,  as  they  will  throw  them- 
selves down,  across  a  rock,  which  is  nearly  perpendi- 
cular, and  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  height,  without  a 
single  prop  to  support  their  feet.  Their  motion  has, 
indeed,  rather  the  appearance  of  flying  than  of  leap- 
ing. The  Chamois  feeds  upon  the  best  herbage,  and 
chooses  the  most  delicate  parts  of  plants,  flowers,  and 
the  most  tender  buds.  It  is  not  less  delicate  with 
regard  to  several  aromatic  herbs,  which  grow  upon  the 
sides  of  the  Alps.  It  drinks  but  very  little,  while  it 
feeds  upon  the  succulent  herbage,  and  ruminates,  like 
the  goat,  in  the  intervals  of  feeding.  Its  head  is  crowned 
with  two  small  horns,  of  about  half  a  foot  long,  of  a 
beautiful  black,  and  rising  from  the  forehead,  almost 
betwixt  the  eyes.  These  horns  are  often  made  use  of 
for  the  heads  of  canes.  The  hides  of  these  animals 
are  very  strong  and  supple,  and  good  warm  waistcoats 
and  gloves  are  made  of  them. 

The  hunting  of  the  Chamois  is  very  laborious,  and 
extremely  difficult  and  perilous.  It  is  thus  admirably 
described  by  Saussure  : — «'  The  Chamois  hunter  sets 
out  upon  his  expedition  of  fatigue  and  danger  generally 
in  the  night.  His  object  is  to  find  himself  at  the  break 
of  day  in  the  most  elevated  pastures,  where  the  Cha- 
mois comes  to  feed  before  the  flocks  shall  have  arrived 
there.  The  Chamois  feeds  only  at  morning  and  eve- 
ning. When  the  hunter  has  nearly  reached  the  spot 
where  he  expects  to  find  his  prey,  he  reconnoitres 
with  a  telescope.  If  he  finds  not  the  Chamois,  he 
mounts  still  higher;  but  if  he  discovers  him,  he  endea- 
vours to  climb  above  him  and  to  get  nearer,  by  passing 
round  some  ravine,  or  gliding  behind  some  eminence 
or  rock.  When  he  is  near  enough  to  distinguish  the 
horns  of  the  animal  (which  are  small,  round,  pointed, 
and  bent  backward  like  a  hook),  he  rests  his  rifle  upon 


THE  CHAMOIS.  161 

ft  rock,  and  takes  aim  with  great  coolness.  He  rarely 
misses.  This  rifle  is  often  double-barrelled.  If  the 
Chamois  falls,  the  hunter  runs  to  his  prey — maktf! 
sure  of  him  by  cutting  the  hamstrings — and  applies 
himself  to  consider  by  what  way  he  may  best  regain 
his  village.  If  the  route  is  very  difficult,  he  contents 
himself  with  skinning  the  Chamois ;  but  if  the  way  is 
at  all  practicable  with  a  load,  he  throws  the  animal 
over  his  shoulder,  and  bears  it  home  to  his  family, 
undaunted  by  the  distance  he  has  to  go,  and  the  pre- 
cipices he  has  to  cross. 

"  But  when,  as  is  more  frequently  the  case,  the 
vigilant  animal  perceives  the  hunter,  he  flies  with 
the  greatest  swiftness  into  the  glaciers,  leaping  with 
incredible  speed  over  the  frozen  snows  and  pointed 
rocks.  It  is  particularly  difficult  to  approach  the  Cha- 
mois when  there  are  many  together.  The  sentinel, 
who  is  placed  on  the  point  of  some  rock  which  com- 
mands all  the  avenues  of  their  pasturage,  makes  the 
sharp  hissing  sound  already  mentioned,  at  the  sound 
of  which  all  the  rest  run  towards  him,  to  judge  for 
themselves  of  the  nature  of  the. danger.  If  they  dis- 
cover a  beast  of  prey  or  a  hunter,  the  most  experienced 
puts  himself  at  their  head  ;  and  they  bound  along,  one 
after  the  other,  into  the  most  inaccessible  places. 

"  It  is  then  that  the  labours  of  the  hunter  commence ; 
for  then,  carried  away  by  the  excitement,  he  knows  no 
danger.  He  crosses  the  snows,  without  thinking  of  the 
abysses  which  they  may  cover;  he  plunges  into  the 
most  dangerous  passes  of  the  mountains ;  he  climbs 
up,  he  leaps  from  rock  to  rock,  without  considering 
how  he  can  return.  The  night  often  finds  him  in  the 
heat  of  the  pursuit;  but  he  does  not  give  it  up  for  this 
obstacle.  He  considers  that  the  Chamois  will  stop 
during  the  darkness,  as  well  as  himself,  and  that  on 
the  morrow  he  may  again  reach  them.  He  passes 
then  the  night — not  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  nor  in  a  cave 
covered  with  verdure,  as  does  the  hunter  of  the  plain — 
but  upon  a  naked  rock,  or  upon  a  heap  of  rough  stones, 
without  any  sort  of  shelter.  He  is  alone,  without  fire, 
without  light ;  but  he  takes  from  his  bag  a  bit  of  cheese 
and  some  of  the  barley  bread,  which  is  his  ordinary 
food — bread  so  hard  that  he  is  obliged  to  break  it  be- 
tween two  stones,  or  to  cleave  it  wit  i  the  axe  which 
14* 


162  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

he  always  carries  with  him  to  cut  steps  which  shall 
serve  for  his  ladder  up  the  rocks  of  ice.  His  frugal 
meal  being  soon  ended,  he  puts  a  stone  under  his  head, 
and  is  presently  asleep,  dreaming  of  the  way  the  Cha- 
mois has  taken.  He  is  awakened  by  the  freshness  of 
the  morning  air ;  he  rises,  pierced  through  with  cold ; 
he  measures  with  his  eye  the  precipices  he  must  yet 
climb  to  reach  the  Chamois ;  he  drinks  a  little  brandy 

fof  which  he  always  carries  a  small  provision),  throws 
lis  bag  across  his  shoulder,  and  again  rushes  forward 
to  encounter  new  dangers.  Thest  daring  and  perse- 
vering hunters  often  remain  whole  days  in  the  dreariest 
solitudes  of  the  glaciers  of  Chamouni ;  and,  during  this 
time,  their  families,  and,  above  all,  their  unhappy  wives, 
feel  the  keenest  alarm  for  their  safety. 

"  And  yet,  with  the  full  knowledge  of  the  dangers  to 
be  encountered,  the  chase  of  the  Chamois  is  the  object 
of  an  insurmountable  passion.  Saussure  knew  a  hand- 
some young  man,  of  the  district  of  Chamouni,  who  was 
about  to  be  married;  and  the  adventurous  hunter  thus 
addressed  the  naturalist:  'My  grandfather  was  killed 
in  the  chase  of  the  Chamois  ;  my  father  was  killed  also  ; 
and  I  am  so  certain  that  I  shall  be  killed  myself,  that  I 
call  this  bag,  which  I  always  carry  hunting,  my  winding- 
sheet.  I  am  sure  that  I  shall  have  no  other;  and  yet, 
if  you  were  to  offer  to  make  my  fortune  upon  the  con- 
dition that  I  should  renounce  the  chase  of  the  Chamois, 
I  should  refuse  your  kindness.'  Saussure  adds,  that 
he  went  several  journeys  in  the  Alps  with  this  young 
man  ;  that  he  possessed  astonishing  skill  and  strength  ; 
but  that  his  temerity  was  greater  than  either;  and  that, 
two  years  afterwards,  he  met  the  fate  which  he  had 
anticipated,  by  his  foot  failing  on  the  brink  of  a  pre- 
cipice to  which  he  had  leaped. 

"  The  very  few  individuals  of  those  who  grow  old 
in  this  trade,  bear  on  their  countenances  the  traces  of 
the  life  which  they  have  led.  They  have  a  wild,  and 
somewhat  haggard  and  desperate  air,  by  which  they 
rnay  be  recognised  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd.  Many 
of  the  superstitious  peasants  believe  that  they  are 
sorcerers ;  that  they  have  commerce  with  the  evil 
spirit;  and  that  it  is  he  that  throws  them  over  the 
precipices." 


THE    SAIGA THE    GAZELLE.  163 


THERE  is  a  sort  of  wild  goat  found  in  Hungary,  in 
Tartary,  and  in  South  Siberia,  which  the  Russians 
call  Seigak,  or  Saiga.  It  bears  a  resemblance  to  the 
domestic  goat,  in  the  shape  of  its  body,  and  in  its  hair  ; 
but,  by  the  shape  of  the  horns,  and  the  defect  of  the 
beard,  it  approaches  nearer  the  gazelle,  and  appears 
k)  be  a  mixture  of  these  two  animals. 

The  Saiga,  by  its  natural  habits,  resembles  more  the 
gazelle  than  the  ibex  and  the  chamois  ;  for  it  does  not 
delight  in  mountainous  countries,  but  lives  upon  the 
hills  and  on  the  plains.  It  is  very  agile,  very  swift, 
and  its  flesh  is  much  better  eating  than  that  of  the  ibex, 
or  any  other  wild  or  tame  goat. 

This  animal,  which  was  imperfectly  known  to  M. 
Buffon,  is  the  Scythian  Antelope  of  Pennant,  the 
Antilope  Saiga  of  Linnaeus.  It  is  of  a  gray  yellowish 
colour,  and  about  the  size  of  a  fallow-deer.  Numbers 
of  them  are  to  be  found  in  the  dreary  and  extensive 
deserts  about  Mount  Caucasus,  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  in 
Siberia  In  autumn  they  collect  together,  and  migrate 
towards  the  south  ;  in  spring  they  separate,  and  return 
to  the  north.  Being  exceedingly  fond  of  salt,  they  con- 
fine themselves  chiefly  to  such  countries  as  have  salt 
springs.  Like  the  chamois,  one  of  their  herd  acts  as 
sentinel  when  the  flock  rests,  and  when  he  is  tired  he 
is  relieved  by  another. 

THE  GAZELLE,  OR  ANTELOPE. 

THERE  have  been  thirteen  species,  or,  at  least,  thir- 
teen very  distinct  varieties,  noted  of  these  animals.* 
In  this  uncertainty,  in  knowing  whether  they  are  only 
varieties,  or  in  fact  really  different  species,  we  have 
thought  proper  to  put  them  all  together,  assigning  to 
each  of  them  a  particular  name.  The  first  is  the  com- 
mon Gazelle,  found  in  Syria,  in  Mesopotamia,  and  in 
all  the  other  provinces  of  the  Levant,  as  well  as  in 
Barbary  and  in  all  the  northern  parts  of  Africa.  The 
horns  of  this  animal  are  about  a  foot  long,  entirely 
annulated  at  the  base,  which  lessen  into  half  rings 

*  The  number  of  species  of  this  genus  is  now  increased  to  fifty-two 


164  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

towards  the  extremity;  they  are  not  only  surrounded 
with  these  rings,  but  also  longitudinally  furrowed  by 
small  streaks.  The  Gazelles  in  general,  and  this 
tribe  in  particular,  greatly  resemble  the  roebuck,  in 
the  proportions  of  the  body,  its  natural  functions,  its 
swiftness,  and  the  brightness  and  beauty  of  its  eyes. 
These  resemblances  would  tempt  us  to  think  that,  as 
the  roebuck  does  not  exist  where  the  Gazelle  does, 
the  latter  was  only  a  degeneration  of  the  first;  or, 
that  the  roebuck  is  only  a  Gazelle,  whose  nature  fo 
altered  by  the  influence  of  the  climate,  and  by  the 
effect  of  the  different  food,  did  not  the  Gazelle  differ 
from  the  roebuck  in  the  nature  and  fashion  of  its  horns ; 
those  of  the  roebuck,  which  may  be  said  to  be  solid, 
fall  off,  and  are  renewed  every  year,  like  those  of  the 
stag ;  on  the  contrary,  the  horns  of  the  Gazelle  are 
hollow  and  permanent,  like  those  of  the  goat:  the 
roebuck  has  also  no  gall-bladder,  which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Gazelle,  as  well  as  in  the  goat :  on  the  other 
hand,  the  Gazelles  have,  in  common  with  the  roebuck, 
deep  pits  under  the  eyes,  and  resemble  it  still  more  in 
the  colour  and  quality  of  the  hair  in  the  bunches  upon 
their  legs,  which  only  differ  in  being  upon  the  fore  legs 
of  the  Gazelle,  and  upon  the  hinder  legs  of  the  roebuck. 
The  Gazelles,  therefore,  seem  to  be  of  a  middle  nature 
between  the  two  animals ;  but  when  we  consider  that 
the  roebuck  is  an  animal  which  is  to  be  found  in  both 
continents,  and  that  the  goats,  on  the  contrary,  as  well 
as  the  Gazelles,  do  not  exist  in  the  New  World,  we 
shall  easily  perceive  that  these  two  species,  the  goat 
and  the  Gazelle,  are  more  nearly  related  to  each  other 
than  they  are  to  the  roebuck. 

The  second  Gazelle  is  an  animal  found  in  Senegal, 
and  is  called  the  Kevel.  It  is  something  less  than  the 
former,  and  nearly  of  the  size  of  a  small  roebuck ; 
it  differs  xlso  in  its  eyes,  which  are  much  larger ; 
and  its  horns,  instead  of  being  round,  are  flatted 
on  the  sides,  as  well  in  the  male  as  in  the  female  ; 
in  other*respects,  the  Kevel  entirely  resembles  the 
Gazelle. 

The  third  animal  is  called  the  Corin,  the  name  it 
bears  in  Senegal.  It  greatly  resembles  the  Gazelle  and 
the  Kevel,  but  is  still  less  than  either  ;  its  horns  also 
are  much  smaller  and  smoother  than  those  of  the  othet 


THE    GAZELLE.  165 

two ;  and  the  annular  prominences  belonging  to  this 
kind  are  scarcely  discernible. 

In  the  Royal  Cabinet  of  France,  there  are  skins  of 
these  three  different  Gazelles  ;  besides  which,  is  a  horn 
which  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Ga- 
zelle and  Kevel,  and  only  differs  from  them  in  being 
much  thicker.  Its  thickness  and  length  seem  to  indi- 
cate a  much  larger  animal  than  the  common  Gazelle  ; 
and  it  appears  to  us  to  belong  to  a  Gazelle  which  the 
Turks  call  Tzeran,  and  the  Persians  Atur.  This  ani- 
mal, according  to  Olearius,  in  some  measure  resem- 
bles our  deer,  except  that  it  is  rather  of  a  red  colour 
than  brown  ;  the  horns  likewise  are  without  antlers, 
and  rest  upon  the  back,  <fcc.  Mr.  Gmelin,  who  de- 
scribes it  under  the  name  of  Doheren,  says  it  resem- 
bles the  roebuck,  with  this  exception,  that  the  horns 
are,  like  those  of  the  ibex,  hollow,  and,  like  them 
never  fall  off. 

To  the  four  first  species  or  tribes. of  Gazelles,  must 
be  added  two  other  animals,  which  resemble  them  in 
many  things.  The  first  is  called  kola  at  Senega], 
where  the  French  have  styled  it  the  great  brown  cow. 
The  second,  which  we  call  the  kob,  is  also  an  animal 
of  Senegal,  which  the  French  have  denominated  the 
small  brown  cow.  The  horns  of  the  kob  greatly 
resemble  those  of  the  Gazelle  and  the  kevel  :  bnt  the 
shape  of  the  head  is  different ;  the  muzzle  is  much 
longer,  and  there  are  no  pits  nor  depressions  under  the 
eyes. 

The  seventh  animal  of  this  kind  is  a  Gazelle  which 
is  found  in  the  Levant,  but  more  commonly  in  Egypt 
and  in  Arabia.  It  is  called,  from  its  Arabian  name, 
Algazelle  ;  it  is  shaped  pretty  much  like  the  other 
Gazelles,  and  is  nearly  of  the  size  of  a  deer ;  but  its 
horns  are  long,  small,  and  but  little  rounded  till  towards 
the  extremity,  when  they  turn  short  with  a  sharp 
flexure ;  they  are  black,  and  almost  smooth,  and  the 
annular  prominences  scarcely  observable,  except 
towards  the  base,  where  they  are  a  little  more  visible. 
They  are  about  three  feet  in  length,  while  those  of  the 
Gazelle  are  commonly  but  one  foot,  those  of  the  kevel 
fourteen  and  fifteen  inches,  and  those  of  the  corin 
(which  nevertheless,  resembles  this  the  most)  only  six 
or  seven  inches. 


166  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

The  eighth  animal  is  that  which  is  vulgarly  called 
the  Bezoar  Gazelle,  but  by  the  eastern  nations  Pasan, 
which  name  we  retain.  This  Gazelle  is  of  the  size  of 
our  domestic  he-goat ;  and  it  has  the  hair,  shape,  and 
agility  of  the  stag.  In  most  respects,  these  two  spe- 
cies, the  Algazelle  and  the  Pasan,  appear  to  us  to 
have  a  great  affinity.  They  are  also  natives  of  the 
same  climate,  and  found  in  the  Levant,  in  Egypt,  in 
Barbary,  in  Arabia,  and  Persia ;  but  there  is  this  dif- 
ference :  the  Algazelle  feeds  upon  the  plains,  and  the 
Pasan  is  only  found  in  the  mountains.  The  flesh  of  both 
is  very  good  food. 

The  ninth  Gazelle  is  an  animal  which  is  called  Nan- 
guer  at  Senegal.  It  is  three  feet  and  a  half  long,  two 
feet  and  a  half  high  ;  it  is  of  the  colour  of  the  roebuck, 
fallow  upon  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  white  under 
the  belly  and  upon  the  hinder  parts,  with  a  spot  of  the 
same  colour  on  the  neck.  Its  horns  are  prominent, 
like  those  of  the^ther  Gazelles,  and  are  about  six  or 
seven  inches  in  length  :  they  are  black  and  round;  but 
what  is  very  particular  in  them  is,  that  near  the  points 
they  are  crooked  forwards,  nearly  as  those  of  the  cha- 
mois are  bent  backwards.  These  Nanguers  are  very 
beautiful  animals,  and  very  easy  to  tame. 

The  tenth  Gazelle  is  a  very  common  animal  in  Bar- 
bary and  in  Mauritania,  and  so  well  known  to  the  Eng- 
lish that  they  have  given  it  the  name  of  the  Antelope. 
This  animal  is  of  the  size  of  a  roebuck,  and  greatly 
resembles  the  common  Gazelle  and  the  kevel,  yet  dif- 
fers from  them  in  many  particulars,  so  as  to  be  looked 
upon  as  an  animal  of  a  different  species.  This  Ante- 
lope has  deeper  eye-pits  than  the  common  Gazelle  ;  its 
horns  are  about  fourteen  inches  long,  almost  touching 
each  other  at  the  bottom,  spreading  as  they  rise,  so  as, 
at  their  tips,  to  be  sixteen  inches  asunder.  They  have 
the  annular  prominences  of  the  Gazelle  and  the  kevel, 
but  not  so  distinguishable  as  in  those.  But  what  serve? 
particularly  to  distinguish  this  Antelope  is,  the  double 
flexure,  very  uniform  and  remarkable,  so  that  the  two 
horns  make  a  tolerable  representation  of  an  antique 
lyre. 

In  reviewing  all  the  animals  of  this  class,  we  find 
there  are  about  twelve  species,  or  distinct  varieties,  in 
the  Gazelles  ;  and,  after  having  carefully  compared 


THE  GAZELLE.  167 

them  we  suppose,  first,  that  the  common  Gazelle,  the 
Kevel,  and  the  Corin,  are  only  three  varieties  of  one 
species  ;  secondly,  that  the  Tzeiran,  the  Koba,  anu  the 
Kob,  are  all  three  varieties  of  another  species:  thirdly, 
we  presume,  that  the  Algazelle,  and  the  Pasan,  are 
only  two  varieties  of  the  same  species  ;  and  we  ima- 
gine that  the  name  Bezoar  Gazelle,  which  has  been 
given  to  the  Pasan,  is  no  distinctive  character ;  for  we 
think  ourselves  able  to  prove,  that  the  Oriental  bezoar 
does  not  come  from  the  Pasan  alone,  but  from  all  the 
Gazelles  and  goats  which  live  in  the  mountains  of  Asia; 
fourthly,  it  appears,  that  the  Nanguers,  whose  horns 
are  crooked  forwards,  and  who,  together,  compose  two 
or  three  particular  varieties,  have  been  indicated  by 
the  ancients  under  the  name  of  the  Dama;  and,  fifthly, 
that  the  Antelopes,  which  are  about  three  or  four  in 
number,  and  which  differ  from  all  others,  by  the  double 
flexure  of  their  horns,  have  also  been  known  to  the 
ancients  by  the  names  of  Strepsiceros  and  Addax. 

The  Gazelles  are  hunted  not  only  with  dogs,  assisted 
by  the  falcon,  but  also,  in  some  countries,  with  the 
ounce.  This  fine  animal,  tamed  for  the  purpose,  gene- 
rally goes  with  the  hunter;  and  when  the  prey  is  near, 
they  unchain  it,  and  show  it  the  Gazelles.  It  imme- 
diately exerts  all  its  arts  and  fierceness  in  the  pur- 
suit, not,  as  might  be  supposed,  by  running  after  them, 
but  by  turning  and  winding  about  with  the  utmost  cun- 
ning till  it  is  near  its  prey,  when  it  bounds  all  at  once 
upon  the  Gazelle,  strangles  it  instantaneously,  and 
sucks  its  blood.  If  it  misses  its  aim,  which  often  hap- 
pens, it  rests  in  the  place,  nor  attempts  to  pursue  them 
any  further ;  perhaps  from  the  instinct  that,  as  they 
can  run  much  swifter,  and  a  longer  time,  the  chase 
would  be  useless.  The  master,  then  draws  near  the 
ounce,  coaxing  it,  and  flinging  it  some  pieces  of  flesv~ 
until  he  is  near  enough  to  chain  and  bring  it  back  to 
its  former  station. 

In  some  places  they  take  the  wild  Gazelles  by  the 
neans  of  a  tame  one,  to  the  horns  of  which  they  fasten 
a  snare  made  of  cord.  When  a  herd  of  Gazelles  is 
found,  the  tame  one  is  sent  among  the  rest ;  it  no  sooner 
approaches  than  the  males  of  the  wild  herd  advance  to 
oppose  him,  and,  in  butting  with  their  horns,  are  en 
tangled  in  the  noose  In  this  struggle,  they  both  com- 


168  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

monly  fall  to  the  ground,  when  the  hunter  coming  up 
kills  the  one,  and  disengages  the  other. 

The  Antelopes,  especially  the  largest  sort,  are  much 
more  common  in  Africa  than  in  India;  they  are  stronger 
and  fiercer  than  the  other  Gazelles,  from  which  they 
are  easily  distinguishable  by  the  double  flexure  of  their 
horns  ;  they  have  also  no  black  or  brown  streaks  on 
their  sides.  The  middling  sized  Antelope  is  about  the 
size  and  colour  of  the  deer;  their  horns  are  very  black, 
their  body  very  white,  and  their  fore  legs  shorter  than 
the  hinder  ones.  They  are  well  made,  and  only  sleep 
in  dry  and  clean  places  ;  they  are  likewise  very  swift, 
very  watchful,  and  very  apprehensive  of  danger  ;  so 
that,  in  open  places,  when  they  see  a  man,  a  dog,  or 
any  other  enemy,  they  fly,  with  all  their  swiftness,  till 
they  are  out  of  danger.  But,  notwithstanding  this 
natural  timidity,  they  have  a  kind  of  courage,  if  they 
are  surprised,  when  they  turn  short  round,  and  face 
the  enemy  that  attacks  them  with  great  firmness. 

Such  is  the  brightness  and  beauty  of  the  eyes  of  the 
Antelope,  that  they  furnish  similes  to  the  poet;  and  to 
call  a  woman  "  gazelle-eyed,"  is  to  pay  her  one  of  the 
highest  compliments. 

The  Bezoar  Stone  is  the  production  not  only  of 
Gazelles,  but  of  wild  and  domestic  goats,  and  even 
sheep.  Probably  the  formation  of  this  stone  depends 
more  on  the  temperature  of  the  climate,  and  the 
quality  of  the  food,  than  on  the  nature  or  species  of 
the  animal.  Some  authors  have  asserted,  that  the  true 
occidental  bezoar,  i.  e.  that  which  possesses  most  vir- 
tue, is  the  production  of  monkeys,  and  not  of  Gazelles, 
goats,  or  sheep.  But  this  opinion  is  not  founded  on  a 
proper  basis  ;  for  we  have  seen  many  of  these  concre- 
tions, to  which  the  name  of  monkey  bezoar  has  been 
given,  quite  different  from  the  oriental  bezoar^  which 
is  certainly  produced  by  a  ruminating  animal,  and 
which  is  easily  distinguishable  from  all  other  bezoars, 
by  its  shape,  substance,  and  colour,  which  is  generally 
of  an  olive  brown  without  and  within;  while  the  occi- 
dental bezoar  is  of  a  pale  yellow  ;  the  substance  of  the 
first  is  also  softer  and  finer  ;  that  of  the  last  harder  and 
drier.  The  oriental  bezoar  has  been  prodigiously  in 
vogue,  and  a  great  consumption  has  been  made  of  it 
in  the  last  century ;  and  since  it  has  been  made  use  of 


THE    BEZOAR    STONB.  169 

in  Europe  and  in  Asia,  for  all  cases  in  which  our  pre- 
sent physicians  give  cordial  medicines  and  other  anti- 
dotes, may  we  not  presume,  by  the  great  quantities 
which  formerly  have  been,  and  by  what  at  present  is 
consumed,  that  this  stone  is  produced  not  from  a  single 
species  of  animal,  but  from  many  ;  and  that  it  is  equally 
the  production  of  Gazelles,  goats,  and  sheep,  who  can- 
not produce  it  but  in  certain  climates  of  the  Levant 
and  Indies. 

This  stone  is  formed,  as  is  well  known,  by  concen- 
trical  layers,  and  often  contains  some  foreign  matter, 
even  from  the  circumference  to  the  very  centre.  We 
have  inquired  into  the  nature  of  this  matter,  which 
serves  as  a  nucleus  to  the  oriental  bezoar,  from  which 
a  judgment  may  be  formed  of  the  kind  of  animal  that 
has  swallowed  them.  This  nucleus  is  of  various  kinds, 
sometimes  pieces  of  flint,  tamarinds,  grains  of  cassia, 
pieces  of  straw,  and  the  young  buds  of  trees  in  particu- 
lar; therefore,  from  the  above  facts,  we  can  attribute 
this  production  only  to  those  animals  which  brouse  up- 
on shrubs  and  leaves. 

Garcius  ab  Horte  says,  that  in  Khorasan,  and  in  Per- 
sia, there  is  a  kind  of  goats  called  pasans,  and  that  it 
is  in  their  stomachs  that  the  bezoar  is  formed  ;  for,  in 
the  great  number  of  goats  that  are  killed  for  the  sub- 
sistence of  the  troops,  the  stones  are  eagerly  sought 
after,  in  the  stomachs  of  these  animals,  and  very  com- 
monly found  there. 

With  respect  to  the  occidental  bezoar,  we  can  affirm, 
that  they  proceed  neither  from  goats  nor  Gazelles, 
nor  even  any  animal  of  that  kind,  in  all  the  extent  of 
the  New  World.  Instead  of  Gazelles,  we  only  meet 
with  roebucks  in  the  woods  of  America  ;  instead  of 
wild  goats  and  sheep,  animals  of  a  quite  different  na- 
ture are  seen  on  the  mountains  of  Peru  and  Chili,  viz. 
the  llamas  and  the  pacos. 

Mr.  Daubenton,  who  has  more  narrowly  inspected 
into  the  nature  of  bezoar  stones  than  any  other  per- 
son, thinks  that  they  are  composed  of  a  matter  similar 
to  that  which  fastens  itself  to  the  teeth  of  ruminating 
animals,  in  form  of  a  shining  tartareous  matter 

The  chamois,  and  perhaps  the  ibex  of  the  Alps,  the 
goats  of  Guinea,  and  many  other  animals  of  America, 
afford  bezoar  ;  and  if  we  comprehend,  under  this  name, 
VOL.  II.— 15 


i70  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

all  concretions  of  this  nature  which  are  met  with  in 
different  animals,  we  may  be  assured  that  most  quadru- 
peds, excepting  carnivorous  ones,  produce  bezoar, 
which  is  even  to  be  found  in  crocodiles  and  alligators. 

To  form,  therefore,  a  clear  idea  of  these  concretions, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  divide  them  into  many  classes, 
and  fix  them  to  the  animals  which  produced  them, 
observing,  at  the  same  time,  the  climate  and  the  food 
which  mostly  assisted  this  kind  of  production. 

First,  then,  the  stones  which  are  found  in  the  bladder, 
and  in  the  reins  of  men,  and  other  animals,  must  be 
held  distinct  from  the  bezoar  class,  and  described  by 
the  name  of  calculi,  their  substance  being  quite  different 
from  that  of  the  bezoar;  they  are  easily  known  by  their 
weight,  their  urinous  smell,  and  their  composition, 
which  is  not  regular,  nor  formed  with  concentrical 
layers,  like  that  of  the  bezoar. 

2.  The  concretions  that  are  often  found  in  the  gall- 
bladder, and  in  the  liver  of  the  human  species,  and  of 
the  brute  creation,  must  not   be   regarded  as   bezoar 
stones,  they  being  easily  distinguishable  from  them,  by 
their  lightness,  their  colour,  and  their  inflammability; 
and,  besides,  they  are  not  formed  by  layers  encircled 
round,  or  nucleuses,  like  the  bezoar. 

3.  The  balls  that  are  often  found  in.  the  stomach  of 
animals,  and  especially  in  those  that  ruminate,  are  not 
true  bezoars.     These  balls,  which"  are  called  egagro- 
piles, are  composed  internally  of  the  hair  the  animal 
has  licked  off  and  swallowed,  or  from  the  hard  roots 
which  he  has  fed  upon,  and  which  he  could  not  digest ; 
their  external   part  is  incrusted  with  a  viscous  sub- 
stance, something  similar  to  that  of  the  bezoar.     The 
cgagropiles,  therefore,  have  nothing  in  them,  except 
this  external  layer,  of  the  bezoar ;  and  a  single  in- 
spection is  sufficient  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the 
other. 

4.  Egagropiles  are  often  found  in  the  animals  of 
temperate  climates,  but  scarcely  ever  any  bezoar.    Ani- 
mals of  hotter  countries,  on  the  contrary,  only  produce 
bezoar :   the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  the  goats,  the 
Gazelles  of  Asia  and  Africa,  the  llama  of  Peru,  and 
others,  produce,  instead  of  egagropiles,  solid  bezoar, 
whose  substance  and  size  vary  relatively  according  to 
the  differerice  of  the  animals  and  the  climates. 


THE    BUBALUS.  171 

5.  The  bezoar  to  which  the  greatest  virtues  and 
properties  have  been  attributed  is  the  oriental  bezoar, 
which,  as  we  have  said,  proceeds  from  the  goats, 
Gazelles,  and  sheep,  which  feed  on  the  mountains  of 
Asia.  The  bezoar  of  an  inferior  quality,  and  which  is 
called  occidental,  is  produced  from  llamas  and  pacos, 
which  are  to  be  found  in  the  mountains  of  South 
America.  In  short,  the  goats  and  Gazelles  of  Africa 
also  produce  bezoar,  but  not  of  so  good  a  quality  as 
those  of  Asia.  •* 

From  all  these  circumstances,  we  may  conclude 
that,  in  general,  the  bezoar  is  only  a  residue  of  the 
vegetable  nutriment,  which  is  not  to  be  found  in  car- 
nivorous animals,  and  which  is  only  produced  in  those 
who  feed  on  plants  ;  that  in  the  mountains  of  Southern 
Asia  the  herbage  being  stronger  than  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  world,  the  bezoar  which  is  made  from  the  residue 
of  that  food  has  also  more  virtues  than  any  other  ;  that 
in  America,  where  the  heat  is  less,  the  grass  of  the 
mountains  being  weaker,  the  bezoars  produced  there 
are  inferior  to  the  first ;  and  in  Europe,  where  the 
grass  is  still  weaker,  and  in  all  the  valleys  of  both 
continents,  no  bezoar  is  produced,  but  only  egagropiles, 
which  contain  nothing  but  hair  or  roots,  and  very  hard 
filaments,  which  the  animal  was  unable  to  digest. 

THE    BUBALUS,   OR    STAG-LIKE    ANTELOPE, 

RESEMBLES  the  stag,  the  gazelle,  and  the  ox,  in 
many  very  remarkable  respects  ;  the  stag,  in  the  size 
and  shape  of  its  body  and  legs,  in  particular  ;  but  its 
horns  are  permanent,  and  made  nearly  like  those  of  the 
largest  gazelles  ;  which  animal  it  also  resembles  in  its 
natural  habits ;  its  head,  however,  is  much  longer 
than  the  gazelle's,  and  even  than  the  stag's ;  and  it 
resembles  the  ox,  by  the  length  of  the  muzzle,  and 
the  disposition  of  the  bones  of  the  head. 

The  horns  of  the  Bubalus  are  crooked  backwards, 
and  twisted  like  a  corkscrew.  The  shoulders  are 
elevated,  so  that  they  form  a  sort  of  hunch  upon  the 
withers.  The  tail  is  almost  a  foot  long,  and  furnished 
with  a  quantity  of  hair  at  its  extremity. 

The  hair  of  the  Bubalus  is  like  that  of  the  elk,  fine 
towards  the  rv>t»  thick  in  the  middle  and  extremity 


172  NATURAL  HISTORY- 

This  character  is  particular  to  these  iwi  animals  ;  for 
the  hair  of  almost  every  quadruped  is  thicker  at  the 
root  than  at  the  middle  and  point.  The  hair  is  nearly 
of  the  same  colour  as  the  elk,  though  much  shorter, 
thinner,  and  softer;  and  these  alone  are  the  resem- 
blances between  the  Bubalus  and  the  elk. 

The  Bubalus  is  common  in  Barbary,  and  in  all  the 
northern  parts  of  Africa.  It  is  nearly  of  the  same 
nature  as  the  antelope,  and  has,  like  that,  short  hair, 
and  a  black  hide,  and  flesh  which  makes  very  good 
food. 

THE    CONDOMA,   OR    STRIPED    ANTELOPE. 

THE  Marquis  de  Marigny  had  in  his  cabinet  the 
head  of  an  animal,  which,  at  first  sight,  I  supposed  to 
have  belonged  to  a  great  bubalus.  It  is  like  those  of 
our  largest  stags  ;  but  the  horns,  instead  of  being  solid 
like  those  of  the  stag,  are  large  and  hollow,  with  a 
ridge  like  those  of  the  goat  kind,  and  with  varied 
flexures  like  those  of  the  antelope.  In  examining  the 
royal  cabinet  for  what  might  be  there  relative  to  this 
animal,  two  horns  were  found  which  belonged  to  it; 
the  first,  without  any  mark  or  name,  came  from  his 
majesty's  wardrobe;  the  second  was  given,  in  1760, 
by  M.  Bauchis,  commissary  of  the  marines,  with  the 
name  of  the  Condoma  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
affixed  to  it. 

In  looking  over  the  works  of  travellers,  for  those 
marks  which  might  have  an  affinity  with  the  remark- 
able size  of  the  horns  of  this  animal,  we  can  find  none 
which  have  a  nearer  relation  to  it  than  those  of  the 
animal  indicated  by  Kolben,  by  the  name  of  the  wild 
goat  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  : — "  This  goat,"  he 
says,  "  to  which  the  Hottentots  have  not  as  yet 
given  a  name,  and  which  I  call  the  wild  goat,  is  very 
remarkable  in  many  respects.  It  is  about  the  size  of 
a  large  stag;  its  head  is  very  handsome,  ornamented 
with  two  crooked  and  pointed  horns,  about  three  feet 
long,  and,  at  their  extremities,  about  three  feet  asunder. 
All  along  the  back  there  runs  a  white  list,  which  ends 
at  the  insertion  of  the  tail ;  another  of  the  same  colour 
crosses  this  at  the  bottom  of  the  neck,  which  it  entirely 
surrounds.  There  are  two  more  running  round  the 


THE    OU1B THE    GRIMM.  173 

body,  one  behind  the  fore  legs,  and  one  parallel  to  it, 
before  the  other.  The  colour  of  the  rest  of  the  body 
is  grayish,  except  the  belly,  which  is  white.  It  has 
also  a  long,  gray  beard  ;  and  its  legs,  though  long,  are 
well  proportioned." 

THE    GUIS,   OR    HARNESSED    ANTELOPE, 

Is  common  in  Senegal  It  resembles  the  gazelles, 
especially  the  nanguer,  by  the  size  and  shape  of  its 
body,  by  the  fineness  of  its  legs,  by  the  shape  of  its 
head  and  vauj.de,  by  the  eyes,  by  the  ears  and  length 
of  its  tail,  and  by  the  defect  of  a  beard  ;  but  every 
gazelle,  especially  the  nanguer,  has  the  belly  white, 
while  the  breast  and  belly  of  the  Guib  is  of  a  deep 
brown.  It  also  differs  from  the  gazelles  by  the  horns, 
which  are  smooth,  and  not  marked  with  annular  pro- 
minences. They  are  also  a  little  compressed;  and  the 
Guib,  in  these  particulars,  is  more  like  the  goat  than 
the  gazelle  ;  nevertheless,  it  is  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other,  but  of  a  particular  kind,  which  seems  to  be 
intermediate  between  the  gazelle  and  the  goat.  It  is 
also  remarkable  for  white  lists  on  a  brown  ground, 
which  are  disposed  along  the  animal's  body,  as  if  it 
were  covered  with  a  harness.  It  feeds  in  company ; 
and  they  are  found  in  numerous  herds  in  the  plains  of 
Podor. 

THE    GRIMM. 

THIS  animal  is  only  known  to  naturalists  by  the  name 
of  the  Wild  Goat  of  Grimmius ;  and,  as  we  are  not 
acquainted  with  the  name  it  bears  in  its  own  country, 
we  cannot  do  better  than  adopt  this  precarious  de- 
nomination. There  are  two  characters  which  are 
sufficient  to  distinguish  it.  The  first  is  a  very  deep 
cavity  under  each  eye ;  the  second  is  a  tuft  of  hair, 
standing  upright  on  the  top  of  the  head.  It  resembles 
both  the  goat  and  the  gazelle,  not  only  in  the  shape  of 
its  body,  but  even  in  its  horns,  which  are  annulated 
towards  the  base,  and  have  longitudinal  streaks,  like 
those  of  the  gazelles ;  at  the  same  time,  they  are  very 
short,  and  bend  backwards  in  a  horizontal  direction. 
Its  hair  is  generally  of  a  ye  owish  fawn  colour,  gray 


174  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

along  the  back,  the  muzzle  black,  a  id  the  limbs  gray. 
There  is  some  reason  to  think,  that  the  male  Grimm 
alone  is  furnished  with  horns.  It  is  a  native  of  Guinea. 


TIiE  INDIAN  ANTELOPE. 

"  THE  Indian  Antelope  (says  Mr.  Bennett,)  of  which 
the  specimen  in  the  Tower  constitutes  a  remarkable 
and  highly  interesting  variety,  is  not  only  one  of  the 
most  beautiful,  but  also  the  most  celebrated  species  of 
the  group.  It  occupies  the  place  of  Capricorn  in  the 
Indian  zodiac,  and  is  consecrated  to  ;^e  service  of 
Chandra,  or  the  Moon.  In  size  and  form  it  closely 
resembles  the  gazelle  of  the  Arabs,  the  well  known 
emblem  of  maiden  beauty,  typified,  according  to  the 
poets,  in  the  elastic  lightness  of  its  bound,  the  graceful 
symmetry  of  its  figure  and  the  soft  lustre  of  its  full 
and  hazel  eye.  From  this  truly  elegant  creature  our 
antelope  is,  however,  essentially  distinguished  by  seve- 
ral striking  characters.  Its  horns,  which  are  peculiar 
to  the  male,  are  spirally  twisted,  and  form,  when  fi'lly 
grown,  three  complete  turns;  they  are  closely  approxi- 
mated to  each  other  at  the  base,  but  diverge  consider- 
ably as  they  proceed  upwards.  They  occasionally 
attain  a  length  of  nearly  two  feet,  and  are  surrounded 
throughout  by  elevated  and  close  set  rings.  The  two 
horns  taken  together  have  frequently  been  compared 
to  the  branches  of  a  double  lyre.  The  extremity  of  the 
nose  is  bare,  forming  a  small  and  moist  muzzle ;  the 
sub-orbital  openings  are  larger  and  more  distinct  than 
in  almost  any  other  species,  and  the  ears  are  pointed, 
and  of  moderate  size.  The  natural  colours  vary  with 
the  age  of  the  animal,  but  correspond  in  general  pretty 
closely  with  those  of  the  common  deer.  They  may 
be  shortly  described  as  fawn  above  and  whitish  beneath, 
becoming  deeper  with  age,  and  lighter  in  the  females 
than  in  the  males.  The  occasional  stripes  of  a  lighter 
or  darker  colour,  which  are  generally  visible  on  various 
parts  of  the  body,  can  scarcely  be  considered  as  occur- 
ring with  sufficient  regularity  to  allow  of  their  being 
described  as  characteristic  of  the  species.  But  for 
these  shades  'of  colour,  or  for  any  other,  we  shall  look 
in  vain  in  the  animal  of  the  Tower  Menagerie,  which, 
in  consequence  of  a  particular  conformation,  not  uufre- 


THE   INDIAN  ANTELOPE.  17& 

queiit  in  s  ;  ~ne  species  of  animals,  and  occasionally  met 
with  in  the  human  race,  is  perfectly  and  purely  white." 
It  is,  in  fact,  an  Albino — a  circumstance  which,  in  all 
cases,  is  attributable  to  the  absence  of  the  reta  muco- 
«ium  from  the  skin. 

"  The  present  species  of  Antelope  isr'spread  over  the 
whole  of  the  peninsula  of  Hindostan  and  a  part  of  Per- 
sia, but  it  is  questionable  whether  it  has  been  found  in 
Africa,  as  is  commonly  asserted." 


THE  CHEVROTINS. 

WE  have  given  the  name  of  Chevrotin  (tragulus)  to 
those  small  animals  of  the  hotter  countries  of  Africa 
and  Asia,  which  almost  every  traveller  has  mentioned, 
by  the  denomination  of  Small  Stags,  or  Little  Hinds : 
in  fact,  the  Chevrotin  is  a  miniature  resemblance  of 
the  slag,  by  the  shape  of  the  muzzle,  the  delicacy  of  its 
body,  the  shortness  of  its  tail,  and  the  shape  of  its  legs; 
but  it  differs  greatly  from  it  in  the  size,  the  largest 
Chevrotins  being  never  found  longer  than  the  hare. 
In  other  respects,  the  horns  of  those  which  have  any, 
are  hollow,  annulated,  and  nearly  resembling  the 
gazelles.  Their  foot  is  cloven,  and  is  also  more  of  the 
gazelle  than  of  the  stag  kind.  They  differ  from  the 
gazelle  and  the  stag,  by  not  having  any  depressions  or 
hollows  under  their  eyes,  and  in  that  respect  approach 
nearer  the  goat  kind  ;  but,  in  reality,  they  are  neither 
stag,  gazelle,  nor  goat,  and  constitute  one  or  more  dis- 
tinct species.  Seba  gives  the  figures  and  the  descrip- 
tions of  five  Chevrotins  :  the  first,  the  small  red  Gui- 
nea Hind,  without  horns ;  the  second,  the  Fawn,  or 
email  African  Stag;  the  third,  the  small  young  Stag 
of  Guinea;  the  fourth,  the  small  red  and  white  spotted 
Hind  of  Surinam;  the  fifth,  the  red  haired  African 
Stag.  Of  these  five  Chevrotins  mentioned  by  Seba, 
the  first,  second,  and  third,  are  evidently  the  same  ani- 
mal ;  the  fifth,  which  is  larger  than  the  three  first,  and 
whose  hair  is  redder,  much  longer,  and  of  a  deeper 
brown,  seems  to  be  only  a  variety  of  this  species ;  the 
fourth,  which  the  author  indicates  as  an  animal  of  Suri- 
nam, is  probably  but  a  second  variety  of  this  species  ; 
which  is  only  found  in  Africa,  and  in  the  southern  parts 
af  Asia. 


176  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

These  animals  are  of  an  elegant  make,  and  finely 
proportioned  for  their  size.  But,  though  they  leap  and 
bound  with  prodigious  swiftness,  yet,  apparently,  they 
cannot  continue  it  for  a  long  time  ;  for  the  Indiana 
often  hunt  them  down  ;  and  the  Negroes  likewise  pur- 
sue them,  and  knock  them  down  with  their  sticks. 
They  are  greatly  hunted  after,  as  their  flesh  is  excel- 
lent food.  They  can  only  live  in  excessively  hot  cli- 
mates ;  and  they  are  so  exceedingly  delicate,  that  it  is 
with  the  greatest  trouble  they  are  transported  into 
Europe  alive,  where  they  perish  in  a  short  time.  They 
are  easily  tamed,  very  familiar,  and  beautiful.  The 
Chevrotin  is,  without  doubt,  the  least  of  all  cloven- 
footed  animals.  According  to  this  character,  they 
should  not  bring  forth  many  young  ;  but,  if  we  reason 
from  their  small  size,  we  should  imagine  they  brought 
forth  several  at  a  time.  They  are  exceedingly  nume- 
rous in  the  Indies,  Java,  Ceylon,  Senegal,  Congo,  and 
in  every  other  country  that  is  excessively  hot,  and  are 
not  to  be  found  in  America,  nor  in  any  of  the  tempe- 
rate climates  of  the  Old  Continent. 


MAZAME, 

IN  the  Mexican  language,  was  the  name  of  the  stag, 
or  rather  of  the  whole  race  of  stags,  deer,  and  roe- 
bucks. Travellers  distinguish  two  kinds  of  Mazames, 
both  common  to  Mexico  and  New  Spain  ;  the  first  and 
largest,  to  which  they  give  the  simple  name  of  Ma- 
zame,  has  horns  like  that  of  the  roebuck  of  Europe, 
about  six  or  seven  inches  in  length,  and  of  a  dark  hue, 
with  the  extremities  pointed  and  bent  back  ;  it  is  less 
than  a  goat ;  its  fur  is  generally  of  a  pale  reddish 
brown  above  ;  on  the  chest  and  inner  part  of  the 
limbs  it  is  of  a  yellowish  white  ;  its  tail  is  thick  and 
short.  The  second,  called  Tememazame,  is  less  than 
the  former,  is  handsomely  shaped  ;  its  ears  are  long, 
narrow,  and  rounded  at  the  end  ;  the  tail  is  pretty 
long;  the  fur  is  fawn  coloured  above,  and  white  be- 
neath, with  a  spot  of  white  on  the  chest,  and  another 
round  the  mouth.  The  horns  are  about  six  inches  long, 
black,  and  a  little  bent  at  the  point. 


THE  COUDOUS.  177 


THE  COUDOUS. 

OF  all  animals,  those  that  chew  the  cud  are  the 
most  numerous,  and  most  varied.  In  the  very  great 
quantity  of  horns  collected  together  in  the  royal  cabi- 
net, or  dispersed  in  private  collections,  there  stil] 
remains  one  without  label,  without  name,  absolutely 
unknown,  and  of  which  we  have  no  other  indexes  than 
those  which  we  can  draw  from  the  subject  itself.  This 
horn  is  large,  almost  straight,  and  very  thick  and 
black.  It  is  not  solid  like  that  of  the  stag,  but  resem- 
bles that  of  the  ox.  After  seeking  a  number  of  differ- 
ent cabinets,  we  at  last  found,  in  that  of  Mr.  Dupleix, 
a  head  adorned  with  two  horns,  resembling  this  we 
mention :  this  was  labelled  with  these  words — The 
horns  of  an  animal  nearly  like  a  horse,  of  a  grayish 
colour,  with  a  mane  before  its  head :  it  is  called,  at  Pon- 
dicherry,  COESDOES,  which  should  be  pronounced  COU- 
DOUS. 

The  Coudous  may  possibly  be  of  the  buffalo  species  ; 
and  the  travellers  in  Africa,  where  the  buffalo  is  as 
common  as  in  Asia,  more  precisely  mention  a  kind  of 
buffalo,  called  pacasse,  at  Congo,  which,  by  the  indexes, 
seems  to  us  to  be  the  Coudous.  "  In  the  route  from 
Louanda  to  the  kingdom  of  Congo,  we  perceived,"  say 
they,  "  two  Pacasses,  which  are  animals  greatly 
resembling  buffaloes,  and  which  roar  like  lions.  The 
male  and  female  always  go  together.  They  are  white, 
spotted  with  red  and  black.  Their  ears  are  about  half 
an  ell  long  ;  and  their  horns  are  short.  They  neither 
fly  at  the  sight  of  the  human  species,  nor  do  them  any 
injury,  but  only  look  at  them  as  they  pass  by." 

It  appears  probable  that  M.  Buffon  is  in  error,  both 
as  to  the  native  place  of  this  animal  and  its  belonging 
to  the  buffalo  class.  The  Coudous  is,  most  probably, 
the  Antilope  Oreas  of  Pallas,  the  Canna  or  Gann  of 
the  Hottentots,  and  inhabits  the  mountains  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  This  animal  is  of  the  size  of  a  horse, 
has  a  long  head,  and  its  fur  is  of  a  fawn  colour  border- 
ing on  red  above,  white  beneath,  and  ash  coloured  on 
the  head  and  neck. 


178  NATURAL    HISTOR*. 


THE  genus  of  antelope  is  almost  infinitely  extended, 
and  probably  embraces  some  animals  not  yet  de- 
scribed. To  this  genus  may  perhaps  be  referred  thtt 
singular  quadruped,  which  the  Hottentots,  from  its 
voice,  distinguish  by  the  name  of  Gnu.  It  is  described 
by  travellers  as  resembling  in  form  the  horse,  the  ox, 
and  the  stag.  It  is  about  the  size  of  a  small  horse, 
that  is,  about  four  or  five  feet  in  height,  and  between 
five  and  six  in  length.  The  colour  of  the  body,  which 
is  said  to  be  finely  proportioned,  is  a  dark  brown.  Its 
limbs  are  slender.  Its  neck  is  longer  than  that  of  the 
ox,  but  neither  so  long  nor  so  slender  as  that  of  the 
horse.  Like  the  horse  it  is  adorned  with  a  mane, 
which  is  stiff  and  erect.  Its  horns  are  singularly  curved, 
being  somewhat  of  the  shape  of  the  Greek  letter  upsilon. 
Its  head,  however,  resembles  most  that  of  the  ox  spe- 
cies. Besides  the  mane,  it  has  also  on  the  chin  and 
breast  a  shaggy  stiff  hair,  which  is  black,  while  thr 
colour  of  the  mane  and  tail  is  gray.  It  is  a  native  o« 
the  southern  parts  of  Africa,  where  it  exists  in  a  gre 
garious  state,  and  in  very  large  herds.  It  is  a  lively, 
capricious  animal. 

The  Gnu  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Pringle,  \vho  had 
abundant  opportunities  of  studying  its  habits  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  whose  talents  and  observant 
spirit  particularly  qualify  him  to  investigate  and  to 
communicate  the  result  of  his  investigation.  "  The 
curious  animal  called  Gnu  by  the  Hottentots,  and 
Wilde  Beest  (i.  e.  Wild  Ox)  by  the  Dutch  colonists, 
was  an  inhabitant  of  the  mountains  adjoining  the  Scot- 
tish settlement  at  Bavian's  river,  and  I  had  therefore 
opportunities  of  very  frequently  seeing  it  both  singly 
and  in  small  herds.  Though  usually,  and  perhaps  cor- 
rectly, by  naturalists  ranked  among  the  antelope  race, 
it  appears  to  form  evidently  one  of  those  intermediate 
links  which  connect,  as  it  were,  the  various  tribes  of 
animals  in  a  harmonious  system  in  the  beautiful  ar- 
rangement of  nature.  As  the  hycena  dcg,  or  '  wilde 
hond'  of  South  Africa,  connects  the  dog  and  wolf  tribe 
with  that  of  the  hyaena,  in  like  manner  does  the  Gnu 
form  a  graceful  link  between  the  buffalo  and  the  ante- 
lope. Possessing  the  distinct  features  which,  accord- 


THE  GNU.  1*79 

ing  to  nituralists,  are  peculiar  to  the  latter  tribe,  the 
Gnu  exhibits  at  the  same  time  in  his  general  aspect, 
figure,  motions,  and  even  the  texture  of  his  flesh,  qua- 
lities which  partake  very  strongly  of  the  bovine  cha- 
racter. Among  other  peculiarities,  I  observed,  that, 
like  the  buffalo  or  the  ox,  he  is  strangely  affected  by 
the  sight  of  scarlet ;  and  it  was  one  of  our  amuse- 
nents  when  approaching  these  animals  to  hoist  a  red 
Handkerchief  on  a  pole,  and  to  observe  them  caper 
about,  lashing  their  flanks  with  their  long  tails,  and 
tearing  up  the  ground  with  their  hoofs,  as  if  they  were 
violently  excited,  and  ready  to  rush  down  upon  us; 
and  then  all  at  once,  when  we  were  about  to  fire  upon 
them,  to  see  them  bound  away,  and  again  go  prancing 
round  us  at  a  safer  distance.  When  wounded,  they  are 
reported  to  be  sometimes  rather  dangerous  to  the 
huntsman  ;  but  though  we  shot  several  at  different 
times,  I  never  witnessed  any  instance  of  this.  On  one 
occasion,  a  young  one,  apparently  only  a  week  or  two 
old,  whose  mother  had  been  shot,  followed  the  hunts- 
man home,  and  I  attempted  to  rear  it  on  cow's  milk. 
In  a  few  days  it  appeared  quite  as  tame  as  a  common 
calf,  and  seemed  to  be  thriving;  but  afterwards,  from 
some  unknown  cause,  it  sickened  and  died.  I  heard, 
however,  of  more  than  one  instance  in  that  part  of  the 
colony,  where  the  Gnu,  thus  caught  young,  had  been 
reared  with  the  domestic  cattle,  and  had  become  so 
tame  as  to  go  regularly  out-  to  pasture  with  the  herds, 
without  exhibiting  any  inclination  to  resume  its  natu- 
ral freedom  ;  but  in  consequence  of  a  tendency  which 
the  farmers  say  they  evinced  to  catch,  and  to  commu- 
nicate to  the  cattle,  a  dangerous  infection,  the  practice 
of  raising  them  as  curiosities  has  been  abandoned.  I 
know  not  if  this  imputation  be  correct,  but  it  is  true 
that  infectious  disorders  do  occasionally  prevail  to  a 
most  destructive  extent  among  the  wild  as  well  as  the 
domesticated  animals  in  South  Africa,  and  especially 
umong  the  tribes  of  larger  antelopes. 

"  There  is  another  species  of  Gnu  found  farther  to 
the  northward  of  which  I  saw  a  single  specimen  in  the 
colony,  which,  in  the  shape  of  the  horns,  and  some 
other  particulars,  still  more  resembles  the  ox.  This 
species  has  been  described  b'r  Burchell,  under  the 
name  of  antilope  taurina." 


180  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


THE  NYL  GHAU. 

PENNANT  gives  to  this  animal  the  name  of  the  white- 
footed  antelope.  Its  Persian  name  Nyl  Ghau  signifies 
a  blue  cow  or  bull ;  and,  in  fact,  the  creature  seems  to 
join  something  of  the  bull  species  with  something  of 
the  antelope  or  deer.  It  is  rather  more  than  four  feet 
high  at  the  shoulder.  The  male  is  of  a  dark  gray 
colour,  with  short  horns;  the  female  is  of  a  pale  brown, 
without  horns.  The  mode  in  which  these  animals  fight 
is  curious.  While  still  at  a  distance  from  each  other, 
they  prepare  for  the  attack  by  falling  on  their  fore 
knees,  and  when  they  come  within  a  few  yards  they 
make  a  spring,  and  dart  against  each  other.  The  force 
with  which  they  spring  in  this  manner  is  very  great. 
In  its  wild  state  the  Nyl  Ghau  is  said  to  be  exceedingly 
vicious ;  but  when  domesticated,  it  becomes  tame  and 
even  affectionate.  It  is  a  native  of  the  interior  parts  of 
India,  and  in  several  parts  of  that  country  is  considered 
as  royal  game,  to  be  hunted  only  by  princes. 

THE  MUSK  ANIMAL,   OR  THIBETIAN   MUSK. 

To  finish  a  complete  history  of  goats,  and  other 
animals  of  this  genus,  there  is  only  one  remaining  to  be 
described,  which  is  as  famous  as  it  is  unknown.  The 
animal  we  mean  is  that  which  produces  the  musk, 
which  all  modern  naturalists,  and  the  greatest  part  of 
travellers  through  Asia,  have  spoken  of,  some  by  the 
name  of  the  stag,  roe-buck,  and  musk  goat ;  others 
have  considered  it  as  a  large  chevrotin  ;  and  truly  it 
seems  to  be  of  an  ambiguous  nature,  participating  of 
all  the  above  animals,  although,  at  the  same  time  we 
can  assert,  that  its  species  is  different  from  all  others. 
It  is  a  native  of  the  highest  and  rudest  mountains  of 
Thibet,  and  some  other  parts  of  Asia,  about  the  size  of 
a  small  roe-buck,  or  gazelle  ;  but  its  head  is  without 
horns  ;  and  by  this  character  it  resembles  the  memina, 
or  chevrotin  of  India.  It  has  two  great  canine  teeth 
or  tusks  in  the  upper  jaw,  by  which  it  approaches  the 
chevrotin ;  but,  what  distinguishes  it  from  all  other 
animals,  is  a  kind  of  bag,  about  two  or  three  inches  hi 
diameter,  which  grows  near  the  navel,  and  into  whjeF} 


THE  MUSK  ANIMAL.  181 

a  liqi  >:  filtrates,  which  differs  from  the  civet  by  its 
srnell  2vid  consistence.  Neither  the  Greeks  nor  Ro- 
mans have  made  any  mention  of  the  Musk  Animal ; 
and  Grew  is  the  only  person  who  has  made  an  exact 
description  of  it  from  its  skin.  The  description  given 
by  that  author  is  as  follows: — 

The  Musk  Stag  is  about  three  feet  six  inches  in 
length,  from  the  head  to  the  tail ;  and  the  head  is 
about  half  a  foot  long ;  the  neck,  seven  or  eight 
inches  ;  the  fore  part  of  the  head,  three  inches  broad, 
and  like  that  of  a  greyhound  ;  the  ears  are  erect,  like 
those  of  a  rabbit,  and  about  three  inches  long;  the 
tail  is  not  above  two  inches ;  the  fore  legs  are  about 
thirteen  or  fourteen  inches  high  ;  it  is  cloven-footed, 
armed  behind  and  before  with  two  horny  substances, 
but  none  on  the  hind  feet. 

The  bladder  or  bag  which  contains  the  musk  is  about 
three  inches  long,  two  broad,  and  stands  out  from  the 
belly  about  an  inch  and  a  half.  The  animal  has  twenty- 
six  teeth.  There  is  also  a  tusk,  or  canine  tooth,  about 
two  inches  and  a  half  long,  on  each  side  in  the  upper 
jaw,  which  terminates  in  the  form  of  a  hook.  It  has 
no  horns.  It  appears,  further,  that  the  hair  of  this 
animal  is  long  and  rough,  the  muzzle  pointed,  the 
tusks  somewhat  like  those  of  the  hog.  By  these  marks 
it  approaches  the  boar  kind,  and  perhaps  still  more  that 
of  the  babiroussa,  which  the  naturalists  have  deno- 
minated the  Indian  boar.  The  American  hog  also, 
which  we  call  pecari,  has  a  bag  or  cavity  on  its  back, 
containing  plenty  of  a  very  odoriferous  humour.  In 
general,  those  animals  which  produce  odoriferous 
liquors,  as  the  badger,  the  caster,  the  pecari,  the 
ondatra,  the  desman,  the  civet,  the  zibet,  are  not  of 
the  stag  or  goat  kind.  Thus  we  n^ight  be  tempted  to 
think,  that  the  Musk  Animal  is  nearer  the  hog  species 
than  that  of  the  goat. 

In  respect  to  the  matter  of  musk  itself,  its  essence, 
that  is,  its  pure  substance,  is  perhaps  as  little  known 
as  the  nature  of  the  animal  which  produces  it.  All 
travellers  agree,  that  the  musk  is  always  mixed  and 
adulterated  with  blood,  or  some  other  drugs,  by  those 
who  sell  it.  The  Chinese  not  only  increase  the  quan- 
tity by  this  mixture,  but  they  endeavour  likewise  to 
increase  the  weight  by  incorporating  with  it  lead  very 
VOL.  II.— 16 


182  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

finely  ground.  The  purest  musk,  and  that  which  is 
the  most  sought  after,  even  by  the  Chinese  themselves, 
is  that  which  the  animal  deposits  upon  trees  or  stones, 
against  which  it  rubs  itself  when  the  quantity  renders 
it  uneasy.  The  musk  which  is  brought  over  in  the 
bag  is  very  seldom  so  good,  because  it  is  not  yet  ripe, 
or  because  it  is  only  in  their  rutting  season  that  it 
acquires  all  its  strength  and  all  its  smell ;  and  it  is  at 
this  time  the  animal  endeavours  to  disburthen  itself 
of  this  pure  matter,  which  then  causes  such  violent 
itchings  and  irritations.  A  single  grain  of  musk  is 
sufficient  to  perfume  a  great  quantity  of  other  matter ; 
and  the  odour  expands  itself  to  a  very  great  distance. 
The  smallest  particle  is  sufficient  to  perfume  a  con- 
siderable space  ;  and  the  perfume  is  so  permanent, 
that,  at  the  end  of  several  years,  it  does  not  seem  to 
have  lost  much  of  its  power. 


CHAPTER    XIX 

Of  the  Babiroussa,  or  Indian  Hog — The  Cabiat — 
The  Porcupine — The  Couando — The  Urson — TJie 
Asiatic  Hedgehogs — The  Camelopard — The  Llama 
andPaco — The  Vicuna — The  Sloth — The  Surikat — 
The  Tarsier — The  Phalanger — The  Coquallin — 
The  Hamster — The  Bobak — The  Jerboa — The  Ich- 
neumon— The  Gray  Ichneumon — The  Fossan — The 
Vansire — The  Maki  or  Macauco — The  White-headed 
Mongoos — The  Bengal  Lor  is — The  Javelin  Bat. 

THE    BABIROUSSA,   OR    INDIAN    HOG. 

ALL  naturalists  have  regarded  this  animal  as  a  kind 
of  hog,  though  it  has  neither  the  head,  shape,  bristles 
nor  tail  of  a  hog.  Its  legs  are  longer  and  its  muzzle 
shorter.  It  is  covered  with  soft  and  short  hair  like 
wool ;  and  its  tail,  which  tapers  to  a  fine  point,  is  ter- 
minated by  a  tuft  of  the  same  ;  its  body  is  likewise  not 
so  thick  and  clumsy  as  that  of  the  hog  ;  its  ears  are 
short  and  pointed  ;  its  sVin  is  black,  and  furrowed 


THE    BAB1ROUSSA.  183 

| 

with  wrinkles  i  nd  creases  ;  but  the  most  remarkable 
character,  and  what  distinguishes  it  from  all  other 
animals,  are  four  enormous  tusks,  or  canine  teeth  ;  the_ 
teeth,  the  two  shortest  of  which  shoot  out  of  the  lower 
jaw,  like  those  of  the  boar  ;  the  two  others,  which 
come  from  the  upper  jaw,  pierce  the  cheeks,  or  rather 
the  upper  part  of  the  lips,  and  rise  crooked  almost  to 
the  eyes.  These  tusks  are  of  a  very  beautiful  ivory, 
much  smoother  and  finer,  but  not  so  hard  as  that  of 
the  elephant. 

These  quadruple  and  enormous  tusks  give  these 
animals  a  very  formidable  appearance  ;  they  are,  how- 
ever, less  dangerous  than  our  wild  boars.  They  go, 
like  them,  in  herds  ;  they  have  a  very  strong  smell, 
by  which  they  are  easily  discovered,  and  hunted  with 
good  success.  They  grunt  terribly,  defend  themselves, 
and  wound  their  enemy  with  their  under  tusks  •  :oi 
the  upper  are  rather  of  disservice  than  of  use  to  them 
Although  wild  and  ferocious  as  the  boar,  they  are 
tamed  with  great  ease  ;  but  their  flesh,  which  is  very 
good  food,  putrefies  in  a  very  short  time.  As  their 
hair  is  fine,  and  their  skin  delicate,  it  is  soon  penetrated 
by  the  teeth  of  the  dogs,  who  hunt  them  in  preference 
to  wild  boars,  and  sooner  accomplish  their  purpose. 
The  Babiroussa  strikes  its  upper  tusks  into  the  branches 
of  trees,  to  rest  its  head,  or  to  sleep  standing.  This 
habit  it  has  in  common  with  the  elephant,  who,  in 
order  to  sleep  in  an  erect  posture,  supports  his  head 
by  fixing  the  end  of  his  tusks  in  the  holes  which  he 
makes  in  his  lodging. 

The  Babiroussa  differs  still  more  from  the  wild  boar 
by  its  natural  appetites.  It  feeds  upon  grass  and  leaves 
of  trees,  and  does  not  endeavour  to  enter  gardens,  to 
feed  on  beans,  peas,  and  other  vegetables ;  while  the 
wild  boar,  who  lives  in  the  same  country,  feeds  upon 
wild  fruits,  roots,  and  often  on  the  depredations  it  makes 
in  gardens.  These  animals,  who  go  alike  in  herds, 
never  mix :  the  wild  boars  keep  on  one  side,  and  the 
Babiroussas  on  the  other ;  these  walk  quicker;  and 
have  a  very  fine  smell.  They  often  fix  themselves 
against  a  tree,  to  keep  off  the  hunters  and  their  dogs. 
When  they  are  pursued  for  a  long  time,  they  make 
towards  the  sea,  and,  swimming  with  great  dexterity, 
very  often  escape  thsir  pursuit;  for  they  swim  for  a 


184  NATUKAL    HISTORY. 

very  long  time,  and  often  to  very  great  distances   and 
from  one  island  to  another. 

The  Babiroussa  is  found  not  only  in  the  island  of 
Bourou,  near  Ambf  yna,  but  also  in  many  parts  of 
Southern  Asia  and  Africa.  We  have  not  had  it  in  our 
power  to  convince  ourselves,  that  the  female  had  not 
the  two  tusks  which  are  so  remarkable  in  the  male  ; 
but  most  authors,  who  have  spoken  of  this  animal, 
seem  to  agree  in  this  circumstance.* 

THE    CABIA1 

THIS  American  animal,  which  is  also  called  the  Ca- 
pibara,  has  never  yet  made  its  appearance  in  England. 
It  is  not  a  hog,  as  naturalists  and  travellers  pretend  ; 
it  even  resembles  it  only  by  trifling  marks,  and  differs 
from  it  by  striking  characters.  The  largest  Cabiai,  is 
scarcely  the  size  of  a  hog  of  eighteen  months'  growth, 
the  head  is  longer  ;  the  eyes  are  larger  ;  the  snout, 
instead  of  being  rounded,  as  in  the  hog,  is  split  like 
that  of  a  rabbit  or  hare,  and  furnished  with  thick, 
strong  whiskers  ;  the  mouth  is  not  so  wide  ;  the  num- 
ber and  form  of  the  teeth  are  different ;  for  it  is  with- 
out tusks  :  like  the  peccary,  it  wants  a  tail,  and,  unlike 
to  all  others  of  this  kind,  is  in  a  manner  web-footed, 
and  thus  easily  fitted  for  swimming  and  living  in  water, 
The  hoofs  before  are  divided  into  four  parts,  and 
those  behind  into  three  ;  between  the  divisions,  there 
is  a  prolongation  of  the  skin ;  so  that  the  feet,  when 
opened  in  swimming,  can  beat  a  great  surface  of  water. 

This  animal,  thus  made  for  the  water,  swims  there 
like  an  otter,  seeks  the  same  prey,  and  seizes  the  fish 
with  its  feet  and  teeth,  and  carries  them  to  the  edge  of 
the  lake  to  devour  them,  with  the  greatest  ease.  It 
lives  also  upon  fruits,  corn,  and  sugarcanes.  As  its 
legs  are  broad  and  flat,  it  often  sits  upright  upon  its 
hind  legs.  Its  cry  resembles  more  the  braying  of  an 
ass  than  the  grunting  of  a  hog.  Its  colour  is  a  deep 
reddish  brown  above,  and  fawn  beneath.  It  seldom 
stirs  out  but  at  night,  and  almost  always  in  company, 
without  going  far  from  the  sides  of  the  water  in  which 

'Lesson,  the  latest  naturalist  who  has  mentioned  the  Babiroussa,  and  who  ec 
trained  many  of  them  in  Java,  states  that  the  female  hu  only  two  tusks,  and  J 
ulso  mash  smaller  than  the  mate. 


THE    CABI..1 THE     PORCUPINE.  Wo 

it  preys.  It  can  find  no  safety  in  flight ;  and,  in  order 
to  escape  its  enemies  which  pursue  it,  it  plunges  into 
the  water,  remains  at  the  bottom  a  long  time,  and  rises 
at  such  a  distance,  that  the  hunters  lose  all  hopes  of 
seeing  it  again.  It  is  fat ;  and  the  flesh  is  tender,  but, 
like  that  of  the  otter,  rather  of  a  fishy  taste  ;  the  head, 
however,  is  not  bad  ;  and  this  agrees  with  what  is  said 
of  the  beaver,  whoss  exterior  parts  have  a  taste  like 
fish. 

The  Cabiai  is  quiet  and  gentle:  it  is  neither  quarrel- 
some nor  ferocious  with  other  animals.  It  is  easily 
tamed,  comes  at  call,  and  willingly  follows  the  hand 
that  feeds  it.  We  do  not  know  the  time  of  their  bring- 
ing forth  their  young,  their  growth,  and  consequently 
the  length  of  the  life  of  this  animal.  They  are  very 
common  in  Guiana,  as  well  as  in  Brazil,  in  Amazonia, 
and  in  all  the  lower  countries  of  South  America. 


THE    PORCUPINE. 

THE  name  of  this  animal  leads  us  into  an  error,  and 
induces  many  to  imagine,  that  it  is  only  a  hog  covered 
with  quills,  when,  in  fact,  it  only  resembles  that  ani- 
mal by  its  grunting.  In  every  other  respect,  it  differs 
from  the  hog  as  much  as  any  other  animal,  as  well  in 
outward  appearance  as  in  the  interior  conformation. 
Instead  of  a  long  head  and  ears,  armed  with  tusks,  and 
terminated  with  a  snout ;  instead  of  a  cloven  foot,  fur- 
nished with  hoofs,  like  the  hog,  the  Porcupine  has  a 
short  head,  like  that  of  the  beaver,  with  two  large 
incisive  teeth  in  the  fore  part  of  each  jaw ;  no  tusks, 
or  canine  teeth :  the  muzzle  is  divided  like  that  of  the 
hare  ;  the  ears  are  round  and  flat,  and  the  feet  armed 
*ith  nails ;  instead  of  a  large  stomach  with  an  appen- 
dage in  form  of  a  caul,  the  Porcupine  has  only  a  single 
stomach,  with  the  large  coecum  gut;  the  parts  of 
generation  are  not  apparent  externally,  as  in  the  male 
hog  ;  its  testes,  and  the  other  parts  of  generation,  are 
likewise  concealed  in  the  body.  By  all  these  marks, 
as  well  as  by  its  short  tail,  its  long  whiskers,  and  its 
divided  lip,  it  partakes  more  of  the  hare,  or  beaver 
kind,  than  that  of  the  hog.  The  hedgehog,  indeed, 
who  is,  like  the  Porcupine,  covered  with  prickles,  is 
somewhat  resembling  the  hog;  for  it  has  a  long 
16* 


IStf  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

muzzle,  terminated  by  a  kind  of  snout;  but  all  these 
resemblances  being  very  distant,  it  seems  that  the  Por- 
cupine is  a  peculiar  and  different  species  from  that  of 
the  hedgehog,  the  beaver,  the  hare,  or  any  other  ani- 
mal with  which  it  may  be  compared 

It  is  generally  about  two  feet  in  length,  from  the 
head  to  the  extremity  of  the  tail.  The  body  is  cover- 
ed with  spines,  from  ten  to  fourteen  inches  long,  re- 
sembling the  barrel  01'  a  goosequill  in  thickness,  but 
tapering  at  both  ends,  and  variegated  with  black  and 
white  rings.  In  their  usual  state,  they4* incline  back- 
ward, like  the  bristles  of  a  hog,  but  when  the  animal 
is  irritated,  they  rise  and  stand  upright. 

Travellers  and  naturalists  have  almost  unanimously 
declared,  that  this  animal  has  the  faculty  of  discharging 
its  quills,  and  wounding  its  foes  at  an  immense  distance ; 
that  these  quills  have  the  extraordinary  and  particular 
property  of  penetrating  farther  into  the  flesh,  of  their 
own  accord,  as  soon  as  ever  the  point  has  made  an 
entrance  through  the  skin.  These  stories,  however, 
are  all  purely  imaginary,  and  without  the  smallest 
foundation  or  reason.  The  error  seems  to  have  arisen 
either  from  this  animal  raising  its  prickles  upright, 
when  he  is  irritated  ;  and,  as  there  are  some  of  them 
which  are  only  inserted  into  the  skin  by  a  small  pellicle, 
they  easily  fall  off;  or  from  his  sometimes  shaking 
off  his  quills  to  a  considerable  distance  when  he  is 
shedding  them.  We  have  seen  many  Porcupines, 
but  have  never  observed  them  dart  any  of  their  quills 
from  them,  although  they  were  violently  agitated. 
We  cannot,  then,  avoid  being  greatly  astonished,  that 
the  greatest  authors,  both  modern  and  ancient,  as  well 
as  the  most  sensible  travellers,  have  joined  in  believing 
a  circumstance  so  entirely  false.  In  justice,  however, 
to  Dr.  Shaw,  we  must  except  him  from  the  number  of 
these  credulous  travellers  :  "  Of  all  the  number  of 
Porcupines,"  says  he,  "  which  I  have  seen  in  Africa, 
I  have  never  yet  met  with  one  which  darts  its  quills, 
however  strongly  it  was  irritated.  Their  common 
method  of  defence  is  to  lie  on  one  side,  and  when  the 
enemy  approaches  very  near,  to  rise  suddenly,  and 
wound  him  with  the  points  of  the  other."  It  appears, 
however,  that  there  is  a  pernicious  quality  in  the 


THE    COUANDA.  187 

quills;  which  renders  it  difficult  to  cure  the  wounds 
inflicted  by  them. 

The  Porcupine,  although  a  native  of  the  hottest 
climates  of  Africa  and  India,  lives  and  multiplies  in 
colder  countries,  such  as  Persia,  Spain,  and  Italy. 
Agricola  says,  that  the  species  were  not  transported 
into  Europe  before  the  last  century.  They  are  found 
in  Spain,  but  more  commonly  in  Italy,  especially  on 
the  Apennine  mountains,  and  in  the  environs  of  Rome. 

In  its  wild  state,  the  Porcupine  is  a  perfectly  in- 
offensive animal.  It  never  attacks,  and  will  elude  an 
aggressor  when  it  can  ;  but  if  compelled  to  defend 
itself,  it  forces  even  the  lion  to  retire.  In  its  domestic 
state,  it  is  neither  furious  nor  vicious ;  it  is  only 
anxious  for  its  liberty  ;  and,  with  the  assistance  of  its 
fore  teeth,  which  are  sharp  and  strong,  like  those  of 
the  beaver,  it  easily  cuts  through  a  wooden  prison.  It 
is  also  known,  that  it  feeds  willingly  on  fruits,  chest- 
nuts, and  crumbs  of  bread  ;  that,  in  its  wild  state,  it 
lives  upon  roots  and  wild  grain  ;  that,  when  it  can 
enter  a  garden,  it  makes  great  havoc,  eating  the  herbs, 
roots,  fruit,  &c.  It  becomes  fat,  like  most  other 
animals,  towards  the  end  of  summer  ;  and  its  flesh, 
although  insipid,  is  tolerable  eating. 

When  the  form,  substance,  and  organization  of  the 
prickles  of  the  Porcupine  are  considered,  they  are 
found  to  be  true  quills,  to  which  only  feathers  are 
wanting  to  make  them  exactly  resemble  those  of  birds. 
They  strike  together  with  a  noise  as  the  animal  walks; 
and  it  easily  erects  them  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
peacock  spreads  the  feathers  of  its  tail.  The  Indians 
use  them  to  adorn  many  articles  of  dress  and  furniture, 
ar.d  dye  them  of  various  colours. 

THE    COUANDO,   OR    BRAZILIAN    PORCUPINE. 

THE  Porcupine,  as  has  been  observed,  is  a  native  of 
the  hot  countries  of  the  Old  World ;  but,  not  having 
been  found  in  the  New,  travellers  have  not  hesitated 
to  give  its  name  to  animals  which  seemed  to  resemble 
it,  and  particularly  to  that  of  which  we  are  about  to 
take  notice.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Couando  of 
America  has  been  transported  to  the  East  Indies;  and 
Pison,  who  probably,  was  not  acquainted  with  the 


188  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

porcupine,  has  engraved  in  Bontius  the  Covando  of 
America,  under  the  name  and  description  of  the  true 
porcupine.  The  Couando,  however,  is  not  a  porcupine, 
it  being  much  less  ;  its  head  and  muzzle  is  shorter  ;  it 
has  no  tuft  on  its  head,  nor  slit  in  the  upper  lip ;  its 
quills  are  somewhat  shorter,  and  much  finer ;  its  tail 
is  long,  and  that  of  the  porcupine  is  very  short ;  it  is 
carnivorous,  rather  than  frugivorous,  and  endeavours 
to  surprise  birds,  small  animals,  and  poultry,  while  the 
porcupine  only  feeds  upon  herbs,  greens,  fruits,  &c. 
It  sleeps  all  the  day,  like  the  hedgehog,  and  only  stirs 
out  in  the  night ;  it  climbs  up  trees,  and  hangs  in  the 
branches  by  its  tail,  which  the  porcupine  cannot  do. 
All  travellers  agree  that  its  flesh  is  very  good  eating. 
It  is  easily  tamed,  and  commonly  lives  in  high  places. 
These  animals  are  found  over  all  America,  from  Brazil 
and  Guiana  to  Louisiana  and  the  southern  parts  of 
Canada  :  while  the  porcupine  is  only  to  be  found  in 
the  hottest  parts  of  the  Old  Continent. 

In  transferring  the  name  of  porcupine  to  the  Couando, 
they  have  supposed  and  transmitted  to  him  the  same 
faculties,  especially  that  of  lancing  his  quills.  Ray  is 
the  only  person  who  has  denied  these  circumstances, 
although  they  evidently  appear  at  first  view  to  be 
absurd. 


THE  URSON,  OR  CANADA  PORCUPINE. 

THIS  animal,  placed  by  nature  in  the  desert  part  of 
North  America,  to  the  east  of  Hudson's  Bay,  exists 
independent  of,  and  far  distant  from,  man.  The  Urson 
might  be  called  the  spiny  beaver,  it  being  of  the  same 
M/e,  the  same  country,  and  the  same  form  of  body ; 
it  has,  like  that,  two  long,  strong,  and  sharp  incisive 
teeth  at  the  end  of  each  jaw  ;  its  prickles  are  short, 
and  almost  covered  with  hair ;  for  the  Urson,  like  the 
beaver,  has  a  double  coat ;  the  first  consists  of  long 
and  soft  hair,  and  the  second,  of  a  down,  or  felt,  which 
is  still  softer  or  smoother.  In  the  young  Ursons  the 
prickles  are  proportionably  larger,  more  apparent,  and 
the  hair  shorter  and  scarcer  than  in  the  adults 

This  animal  dislikes  water,  and  is  fearful  of  wetting 
himself.  He  makes  his  habitation  under  the  roots  of 
great  hollow  trees,  sleeps  very  much,  and  chiefly  feeds 


THE  TANREC  AND  TENDRAC.          189 

upon  the  bark  of  juniper.  In  winter,  the  snow  serves 
him  for  drink ;  in  summer,  he  laps  water  like  a  dog. 
The  savages  eat  his  flesh,  and  strip  the  bristles  off 
the  hide,  which  they  make  use  of  instead  of  pins  and 
needles.  Many  of  the  trading  Americans  also  depend 
upon  them  for  food  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

THE  TANREC,  AND  TENDRAC,  OR  ASIATIC  HEDGEHOGS, 

ARE  two  small  animals  of  the  East  Indies,  and  Mada- 
gascar, which  a  little  resemble  our  hedgehog,  but  are 
sufficiently  different  to  constitute  a  different  species 
What  strongly  proves  this  is,  their  not  rolling  them- 
selves up  in  the  shape  of  a  ball,  like  the  hedgehog ; 
and  wuere  the  Tanrecs  are  found,  as  at  Madagascar, 
hedgehogs  are  also  found  of  the  same  species  as  ours. 

There  appear  to  be  Tanrecs  of  the  two  species,  or 
perhaps  of  two  different  breeds.  The  first,  which  is 
nearly  as  large  as  our  hedgehog,  has  its  muzzle  pro- 
portionably  longer ;  and  its  ears  are  more  apparent, 
and  less  furnished  with  prickles,  than  those  of  the 
second,  to  which  we  have  given  the  name  of  Tendrac, 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  first.  The  Tendrac  is  not 
larger  than  a  rat ;  its  muzzle  and  its  ears  are  shorter 
than  those  of  the  Tanrec  ;  which  last  is  covered  with 
shorter  prickles,  as  numerous  as  those  of  the  hedge- 
hog ;  whereas  the  Tendrac  has  them  only  on  the  head, 
neck,  and  shoulders,  the  rest  of  the  body  being  covered 
with  a  coarse  hair  resembling  the  bristles  of  a  hog. 

These  little  animals,  whose  legs  are  small,  move  but 
slowly  ;  they  grunt  like  a  hog,  and  wallow  like  it,  in 
mire ;  they  are  chiefly  in  creeks  and  harbours  of  salt 
water ;  they  multiply  in  great  numbers,  and  make 
themselves  holes  in  the  ground,  and  sleep  for  several 
months.  During  this  torpid  state,  their  hair  falls  off, 
which  is  renewed  upon  their  revival.  They  are  usually 
very  fat;  and  although  their  flesh  be  insipid,  soft,  and 
spongy,  yet  the  Indians  find  it  to  their  taste,  and  con- 
sider it  as  a  very  great  delicacy. 

THE   CAMELOPARD,   OR    GIRAFFE, 

Is  one  of  the  tallest  most  beautiful,  and  most  harm 
less  animals  in  nature.     The  enormous  disproportion 


190  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

of  its  legs  (the  fore  legs  being  as  long  again  as  ihe 
hinder  ones*)  is  a  great  obstacle  to  the  use  of  its 
strength;  its  motion  is  waddling  and  stiff;  in  can  nei- 
ther fly  from  its  enemies  in  its  free  state,  nor  serve  its 
master  in  a  domestic  one.  The  species  is  not  very 
numerous,  and  has  always  been  confined  to  the  deserts 
of  Ethiopia,  and  some  other  provinces  of  Africa  and 
India.  As  these  countries  were  unknown  to  the 
Greeks,  Aristotle  makes  no  mention  of  this  animal ; 
but  Pliny  speaks  of  it,  and  Oppian  describes  it  in  a 
manner  that  is  far  from  equivocal.  "  The  Camelo- 
pard,"  says  this  author,  "  has  some  resemblance  to  the 
camel :  its  head  and  ears  are  small,  its  feet  broad,  and 
its  legs  long  ;  but  the  height  of  the  last  is  very  une 
qual,  the  fore  legs  being  much  longer  than  the  hinder, 
which  are  very  short;  so  that,  when  the  animal  appears 
standing  and  at  rest,  it  has  somewhat  the  appearance 
of  a  dog  sitting.  There  are  two  prominences  upon  the 
head,  just  between  the  ears  :  they  resemble  two  small 
and  straight  horns.  Its  mouth  is  like  the  stag's;  its 
teeth  small  and  white  ;  its  eyes  full  of  fire  ;  its  tail 
short,  and  furnished  with  black  hair  at  its  end." 

"  There  is,"  says  Strabo,  "  a  large  beast  in  Ethiopia, 
called  Camelopardalis  ;  although  it  bears  no  resem- 
blance to  the  panther,  for  its  skin  is  not  spotted  in  the 
same  manner :  the  spots  of  the  panther  are  orbicular, 
and  those  of  this  animal  are  long,  and  nearly  resem- 
bling those  of  the  fawn  or  young  stag."  Gillius's 
description  seems  still  better.  "  I  have  seen,"  says 
he,  "  three  Camelopards  at  Cairo.  On  their  heads  are 
two  horns,  six  inches  l«ng;  and,  in  the  middle  of  their 
forehead,  a  tubercle  rises  to  about  the  height  of  two 
inches,  which  appears  like  a  third  horn.  This  animal 
is  sixteen  feet  high  when  he  holds  his  head  erect.  Its 
neck  alone  is  seven  feet ;  and  it  is  twenty  feet  long, 
fiom  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  Its  fore 
and  hind  legs  are  nearly  of  an  equal  height ;  but  the 
thighs  before  are  so  long  in  comparison  to  those 
behind,  that  its  back  seems  to  slope  like  the  roof  of  a 
house.  Its  whole  body  is  sprinkled  with  large  brown 
spots,  which  are  nearly  of  the  same  form.  Its  feet  are 
cloven  like  those  of  the  ox." 

'  This  is  erroneous,  as  will  be  seen  from  Le  faillant's  description,  wh'eh  w« 
h»y«  added  to  this  article. 


THE    CAMELOI'ARD.  191 

In  inspecting  he  accounts  travellers  have  jiven  of 
ihe  Camelopard,  I  find  a  tolerable  agreement  between 
them.  They  all  agree,  that  it  can  reach  with  its  he«d 
to  the  height  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  feet,  when  stand 
ing  erect ;  and  that  the  fore  legs  are  as  high  again  as 
the  hinder  ones ;  so  that  it  seems  as  if  it  were  seated 
upon  its  crupper.  They  all  likewise  agree,  that  it 
cannot  run  very  swift,  on  account  of  this  disproportion; 
that  it  is  very  gentle,  and  that  by  this  quality,  and  even 
by  the  shape  of  the  body,  it  partakes  more  of  the  shape 
and  nature  of  the  camel  than  of  any  other  animal ;  that 
it  is  among  the  number  of  ruminating  animals,  and, 
like  them,  is  deficient  of  the  incisive  teeth  in  its  upper 
jaw.  By  the  testimonies  of  some,  we  find  that  the 
Camelopard  is  to  be  met  with  in  the  southern  parts  of 
Africa,  as  wftll  as  in  those  of  Asia. 

It  is  very  clear,  from  what  we  have  mentioned,  that 
the  Camelopard  is  a  very  different  species  from  every 
other  animal ;  but  if  we  referred  it  to  any,  it  would  be 
the  camel  rather  than  the  stag. 

We  are  ignorant  of  the  substance  of  the  horns  of 
the  Camelopard  ;  and  in  thai  part  it  may  resemble  the 
stag  more  than  the  ox,  though  possibly  they  may  be 
neither  solid,  like  those  of  the  first,  nor  hollow,  like 
those  of  the  ox,  goat,  <fcc.  Who  knows  but  they  may 
be  composed  of  united  hairs,  or  of  a  substance  and 
texture  entirely  peculiar  to  themselves  ?  The  horns 
of  the  Camelopard  are  surrounded  with  large,  coarse 
hair,  and  not  covered  with  a  down  or  velvet,  like  those 
of  the  stag.  The  tubercle  in  the  middle  of  the  head 
seems  to  form  a  third  horn  :  the  two  others,  which 
are  not  pointed,  but  have  mossy  knobs  at  their  ends, 
are  perhaps  only  tubercles  somewhat  resembling  the 
former.  Travellers  inform  us,  that  the  female  Came- 
lopards  have  horns  like  the  males,  with  this  difference 
only,  that  they  are  smaller.  If  this  animal,  therefore, 
was  really  of  the  stag  kind,  the  analogy  would  be 
violated  here  likewise  ;  for*  of  all  such  animals,  there 
is  only  the  female  rain-deer  that  has  horns. 

Since  the  period  when  Buffbn  wrote,  the  Giraffe 
has  become  much  better  known.  Several  have  been 
brought  to  Europe.  One  of  them  was  sent  as  a  present 
to  his  majesty  by  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  and  arrived  in 
this  country  in  1827.  It  died  recently  There  is  still 


192  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

one  existing  in  the  Ja.din  des  Plantes,  at  Paris.  M.  le 
Vaillant,  the  first  naturalist  who  had  an  opportunity  of 
closely  examining  the  Giraffe,  gives  a  full  and  accurate 
description  of  it  in  his  Travels.  "The  Giraffe  chews 
the  cud,  as  all  horned  animals  with  cloven  feet  do 
Like  them,  too,  it  crops  the  grass  ;  though  seldom, 
because  pasture  is  scarce  in  the  country  which  it 
inhabits.  Its  ordinary  food  is  the  leaf  of  a  sort  of 
mimosa,  called  by  the  natives  kaneap,  and  by  the 
planters  kamel  doom.  The  tree  being  peculiar  to  the 
canton,  and  growing  only  there,  this  may  be  the  reason 
why  it  takes  up  its  abode  in  it,  and  why  it  is  not  seen 
in  those  regions  of  the  south  of  Africa  where  the  tree 
does  not  grow.  This,  however,  is  but  a  vague  con- 
jecture, and  which  the  reports  of  the  ancients  seem  to 
contradict. 

"Its  head  is  unquestionably  the  most  beautiful  part 
of  its  body.  Its  mouth  is  small ;  its  eyes  large  and 
animated.  Between  the  eyes,  and  above  the  nose,  it 
has  a  very  distinct  and  prominent  tubercle.  This  is 
not  a  fleshy  excrescence,  but  an  enlargement  of  the 
bony  part,  the  same  as  the  two  little  bosses,  or  protu- 
berances, with  which  its  occiput  is  armed,  and  which 
rise  as  large  as  a  lien's  egg,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
mane,  at  its  commencement.  Its  tongue  is  rough  and 
terminates  in  a  point.  Each  jaw  has  six  grinders  on 
each  side,  but  the  lower  jaw  only  has  eight  cutting  teeth 
in  front,  while  the  upper  jaw  has  none. 

"  The  hoof  is  cloven,  has  no  heel,  and  much  resem- 
bles that  of  the  ox.  It  maybe  observed,  however,  at 
the  first  sight,  that  the  hoof  of  the  fore  foot  is  larger 
than  that  of  the  hind  foot.  The  leg  is  very  slender  ; 
but  the  knee  is  swelled  like  that  of  the  stumbling 
horse,  because  the  animal  kneels  down  to  sleep.  It 
has  also  a  large  callosity  in  the  middle  of  the  sternum, 
owing  to  its  usually  reposing  on  it. 

"If  I  had  never  killed  a  Giraffe,  I  should  have 
thought,  with  many  other  naturalists,  that  its  hind  legs 
were  much  shorter  than  the  fore  ones.  This  is  a  mis- 
take :  they  bear  the  same  proportion  to  each  other,  as  is 
usual  in  quadrupeds.  I  say  the  same  proportion  as  is 
usual,  because  in  this  respect,  there  are  variations,  even 
in  animals  of  the  same  species.  Every  one  knows,  for 
instance,  that  mares  are  lower  before  than  stallions 


THE    CAMEI.EOPARD.  193 

What  deceives  us  in  the  Giraffe,  and  occasions  this  ap- 
parent difference  between  the  legs,  is  the  height  of  the 
withers,  which  may  exceed  that  of  the  crupper  from 
sixteen  to  twenty  inches,  according  to  the  age  of 
the  animal ;  and  which,  when  it  is  seen  at  a  distance  in 
motion,  gives  the  appearance  of  much  greater  length 
to  the  fore  legs. 

"  If  the  Giraffe  stand  still,  and  you  view  it  in  the 
front,  the  effect  is  very  different.  As  the  fore  part  of 
its  body  is  much  larger  than  the  hind  part,  it  completely 
conceals  the  latter ;  so  that  the  animal  resembles  the 
standing  trunk  of  a  deep  tree. 

"  Its  gait,  when  it  walks,  is  neither  awkward  nor 
unpleasing  ;  but  it  is  ridiculous  enough,  when  it  trots  ; 
for  you  would  then  take  it  for  a  limping  beast,  seeing 
its  head,  perched  at  the  extremity  of  a  long  neck  which 
never  bends,  swaying  backwards  and  forwards,  the 
neck  and  head  playing  in  one  piece  between  the  shoul- 
ders as  on  an  axis.  However,  as  the  length  of  the 
neck  exceeds  that  of  the  legs  at  least  four  inches,  it  is 
evident  that  the  length  of  the  head  too  taken  into  the 
account,  it  can  feed  without  difficulty,  and  of  course  is 
not  obliged  either  to  kneel  down  or  to  straddle  with  its 
feet,  as  some  authors  have  asserted.* 

"  Its  mode  of  defence,  like  that  of  the  horse  and 
other  solidungulous  animals,  consists  in  kicking  with 
the  heels.  But  its  hind  parts  are  so  light,  and  its  jerks 
so  rapid,  that  the  eye  cannot  follow  them.  They  are 
even  sufficient  to  defend  it  against  the  lion,  though 
they  are  unable  to  protect  it  from  the  impetuous  attack 
of  the  tiger. 

"  Its  horns  are  never  employed  in  fight.  I  did 
not  perceive  it  use  them  against  my  dogs  ;  and  these 
weak  and  useless  weapons  would  seem  but  an  error  of 
Nature,  if  Nature  could  ever  commit  error,  or  fail  in 
her  designs. 

"  In  their  youth,  the  male  and  female  Giraffes  re- 
semble each  other  in  their  exterior.  A  knot  of  long 
hair  then  terminates  their  obtuse  horns  ;  this  peculiar- 
ity the  female  preserves  for  some  time,  but  at  the  age 
of  three  years  the  male  loses  it.  At  first,  the  hide  is 

'It  is,  besides,  unnecessary  for  the  animal  to  kneel,  as  it  feeds  principally  on 
the  boughs  of  a  species  of  acacia,  which  it  draws  down  to  its  mouth  with  its  long 
and  flexible  tongue. 

VOL.  II.— 17 


194  XATUKAL   HISTORY. 

of  a  light  red,  but  it  deepens  in  colour  is  the  animal 
advances  in  age,  and  at  length,  it  is  of  &  yellow  brown 
in  the  female,  and  of  a  brown  bordering  on  black  in 
the  male.  The  male  may,  even  at  a  distance,  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  female  by  this  difference  of  colour. 
As  to  the  arrangement  and  form  of  the  spots,  the  skin 
varies  in  both  sexes.  The  female  does  not  stand  so 
high  as  the  male,  and  the  frontal  prominence  is  less 
marked.  She  has  four  teats  ;  and,  according  to  the 
account  given  by  the  natives,  she  has  one  young  one  at 
a  birth,  with  which  she  goes  twelve  months. 


THE    LLAMA. 

IT  is  very  singular  that,  although  the  Llama  and  the 
Paco  are  domesticated  in  Peru,  Mexico,  and  Chili,  as 
the  horse  is  in  Europe,  or  the  camel  in  Arabia,  we 
scarcely  know  any  thing  of  them.  Peru,  according  to 
Gregory  de  Bolivar,  is  the  true  and  native  country  of 
the  Llamas ;  they  are  conducted  into  other  provinces, 
as  New  Spain,  <fcc.  but  this  is  rather  for  curiosity  than 
utility  ;  but  in  Peru,  from  Potosi  to  Caracas,  these  ani- 
mals are  in  great  numbers,  and  make  the  chief  riches 
of  the  Indians  and  Spaniards,  who  rear  them.  Their 
flesh  is  excellent  food  ;  their  hair,  or  rather  wool,  may 
be  spun  into  beautiful  clothing;  and  they  are  capable 
of  carrying  heavy  loads  in  the  most  rugged  and  dan- 
gerous ways ;  the  strongest  of  them  will  travel  with 
two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  weight 
on  their  backs ;  their  pace  is  but  slow,  and  their  jour- 
ney is  seldom  above  fifteen  miles  a  day  ;  but  then  they 
are  sure,  and  descend  precipices,  and  find  footing 
among  the  most  craggy  rocks,  where  even  men  can 
scarcely  accompany  them  ;  they  commonly  travel  for 
five  days  together,  when  they  are  obliged  to  rest, 
which  they  do,  of  their  own  accord,  for  two  or  three 
days.  They  are  chiefly  employed  in  carrying  the  riches 
of  the  mines  of  Potosi.  Bolivar  affirms  that,  in  his 
time,  above  three  hundrel  thousand  of  these  animals 
were  in  actual  employ. 

The  growth  of  the  Llama  is  very  quick  ;  and  its 
life  is  but  of  short  duration.  This  animal  couples  so 
early  as  at  three  years  of  age,  and  remains  strong  and 
vigorous  till  twelve  ;  after  which  it  begins  to  decline, 


THE  LLAMA. 


195 


*no  oecomes  entirely  useless  at  fifteen.  Their  nature 
appears  modelled  on  that  of  the  Americans.  They 
are  gentle  and  phlegmatic,  and  do  every  thing  with 
the  greatest  leisure  and  caution.  When  they  stop  on 
their  journeys,  they  bend  their  knees  very  cautiously, 
in  order  to  lower  their  bodies  without  disordering  their 
load.  As  soon  as  they  hear  their  driver  whistle,  they 
rise  up  again  with  the  same  precaution,  and  proceed 
on  their  journey;  they  feed  as  they  go  along,  on  the 
grass  they  meet  with  in  their  way,  but  never  eat  in 
the  night,  making  use  of  that  time  tD  ruminate.  The 
Llama  sleeps,  like  the  camel,  with  its  feet  folded  under 
its  belly,  and  ruminates  in  that  posture.  When  over- 
loaded or  fatigued,  it  falls  on  its  belly,  and  will  noi 
rise,  though  its  driver  strike  it  with  his  utmost  force. 
The  Llama  is  about  four  feet  high  ;  its  body,  com 
prehending  the  neck  and  head,  is  five  or  six  feet  long ; 
its  neck  alone  is  near  three  feet.  The  head  is  small 
and  well  proportioned,  the  eyes  large,  the  nose  some- 
what long,  the  lips  thick,  the  upper  divided,  and  the 
lower  a  little  depending :  it  wants  the  incisive  and 
canine  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw.  The  ears  are  four  inches 
long,  and  move  with  great  agility.  The  tail  is  seldom 
above  eight  inches  long,  small,  straight,  and  a  little 
turned  up  at  the  end.  It  is  cloven-footed,  like  the  ox; 
but  the  hoof  has  a  kind  of  spear-like  appendage  behind, 
which  assists  the  animal  to  move  and  support  itself 
over  precipices  and  rugged  ways.  The  back  is  clothed 
with  a  short  wool,  as  is  the  crupper  and  tail ;  but  it  is 
very  long  on  the  belly  and  sides.  These  animals  dif- 
fer in  colour  ;  some  are  white,  others  black,  but  most 
of  them  brown. 

These  useful,  and  even  necessary  animals,  are 
attended  with  no  expense  to  their  masters  ;  for,  as  they 
are  cloven-footed,  they  do  not  require  to  be  shod,  nor 
do  they  require  to  be  housed,  as  their  wool  supplies 
them  with  a  warm  covering.  Satisfied  with  a  small 
portion  of  vegetables  and  grass,  they  want  neither 
com  nor  hay  to  subsist  them  ;  they  are  still  more 
moderate  in  what  they  drink,  as  their  mouths  are  con- 
tinually moistened  with  saliva,  which  they  have  in  a 
greater  quantity  than  any  other  animal.  The  native* 
hunt  the  Guanacos,  or  wild  Llam-a,  for  the  sake  of  its 
fleece.  The  dogs  have  much  trouble  to  follow  them;< 


196  NATURAL  HISTORT. 

and,  if  they  do  not  come  up  with  them  before  they  gain 
the  rocks,  both  the  hunters  and  dogs  are  obliged  to 
desist  in  their  pursuit. 

The  Pacos  are  a  subordinate  kind  to  the  Llamas, 
much  in  the  same  proportion  as  the  ass  is  to  the  horse; 
they  are  smaller,  and  not  so  serviceable  ;  but  their 
fleece  is  more  useful :  their  wool  is  fine  and  long,  and 
is  a  sort  of  merchandize,  as  valuable  as  silk.  The  natu- 
ral colour  of  the  Pacos  is  that  of  a  dried  rose-leaf, 
which  is  so  fixed  that  it  undergoes  no  alteration  under 
the  hands  of  the  manufacturers.  They  not  only  make 
good  gloves  and  stockings  of  this  wool,  but  also  form 
it  into  quilts  and  carpets,  which  bring  a  higher  price, 
and  exceed  those  of  the  Levant. 

The  Pacos  also  resemble  the  Llamas  in  their  form, 
excepting  that  their  legs  are  shorter,  and  their  muzzle 
thicker  and  closer.  They  inhabit  and  climb  over  the 
highest  parts  of  the  mountains.  The  snow  and  ice 
seem  rather  agreeable  than  inconvenient  to  them. 
When  wild,  they  keep  together  in  flocks,  and  run  very 
swift ;  and,  as  soon  as  they  perceive  a  stranger,  they 
take  flight,  driving  their  young  before  them.  The 
ancient  monarchs  of  Peru  rigorously  prohibited  the 
hunting  of  them,  as  they  multiply  but  slowly ;  but, 
since  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards  in  these  parts,  their 
number  is  greatly  decreased,  so  that  at  present  there 
are  very  few  remaining.  The  flesh  of  these  animals 
is  not  so  good  as  that  of  the  Guanacos  ;  and  they  are 
only  sought  after  for  their  fleece,  and  the  bezoar  they 
produce.  The  method  of  taking  them  proves  their 
extreme  timidity,  or  rather  their  weakness.  The  hunt- 
ers having  driven  the  flock  into  a  narrow  passage, 
across  which  they  have  stretched  a  rope  about  four  feet 
from  the  ground,  with  a  number  of  pieces  of  linen  or 
cloth  hanging  on  it,  the  animals  are  so  intimidated  at 
these  rags  agitated  by  the  wind,  that  they  stop,  and, 
crowding  together  in  a  heap,  the  hunters  kill  great 
numbers  of  them  with  the  greatest  ease  ;  but  if  there 
are  any  Guanacos  among  the  flock,  which  are  less 
timid  than  the  Pacos,  they  leap  over  the  rope  with 
great  agility.  The  example  is  immediately  followed 
by  the  whole  flock,  and  they  escape  the  stratagem  of 
their  pursuers. 

With  respect  to  the  domestic  Pacos,  they  are  used 


THE   LLAMA.  197 

to  carry  burdens,  like  the  Llamas  ;  but,  being  smaller 
and  weaker,  they  carry  much  less  weight.  They  are 
likewise  of  a  more  stubborn  nature ;  and,  when  once 
they  rest  with  their  load,  they  will  suffer  themselves  to 
be  cut  to  pieces  sooner  than  rise.  The  Indians  have 
never  made  use  of  the  milk  of  these  animals,  as  they 
have  scarcely  enough  to  supply  their  own  young. 
The  great  profit  derived  from  their  wool  has  induced 
the  Spaniards  to  endeavour  to  naturalize  them  in  Eu- 
rope :  they  have  transported  them  into  Spain,  in  hopes 
to  raise  the  breed  in  that  country;  but,  the  climate  not 
agreeing  with  their  nature,  not  one  of  them  lived.  We 
are,  nevertheless,  persuaded  that  these  animals,  which 
are  more  valuable  than  the  Llamas,  might  thrive  upon 
our  mountains,  especially  upon  the  Pyrenean.  Those 
who  brought  them  into  Spain  did  not  consider  that  they 
can  exist,  even  in  Peru,  only  in  the  cold  regions  ;  that 
is,  on  the  top  of  the  highest  mountains ;  that  they  are 
never  to  be  found  in  the  valleys,  and  die  if  brought 
into  hot  countries  ;  that  consequently,  in  order  to  pre- 
serve them,  they  should  be  landed,  not  in  Spain,  but 
in  Scotland,  and  even  in  Norway,  and  with  greater  cer- 
tainty at  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenean,  Alpine,  or  other 
mountains,  where  they  might  climb  and  attain  to  the 
region  that  most  agrees  with  their  nature. 

The  Llama  is  in  general  a  timid  and  docile  animal. 
If  teased  or  ill  treated,  however,  they  become  spiteful. 
Their  mode  of  manifesting  their  anger  is  singular ;  it 
consists  in  darting  their  saliva  in  considerable  quantity 
upon  the  person  who  offends  them.  They  will  cover 
with  it  a  surface  of  three  or  four  yards  in  extent. 

The  Vicuna,  the  wool  of  which  is  very  valuable, 
is  smaller  than  the  Llama  ;  its  limbs  are  more  neatly 
formed,  and  it  has  no  protuberance  on  the  breast.  It 
is  of  a  reddish  brown  on  the  upper  part  of  the  body, 
and  whitish  on  the  lower. 

"  The  Llamas  (says  the  author  of  The  Menageries) 
form  a  secondary  group  of  camels,  offering  to  the  eye 
of  the  naturalist  very  small  enatomical  differences  of 
construction  from  that  of  the  camel,  properly  so  called. 
The  foot  of  the  Llama  is  not,  like  that  of  the  camel, 
covered  with  an  elastic  sole,  which  joins  the  two  toes. 
From  the  absence  of  this  entire  sole,  the  species  of 
South  America  is  enabled  to  climb  the  precipices  of 
17* 


1S)S  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

the  Andes,  which  are  its  native  region,  the  toes  having 
strong  nails,  each  of  which  has  a  thick  cushion,  or  pad, 
below.  The  Llama  also  wants  the  second  canine  tooth 
in  the  lower  jaw ;  but  this  difference  is  not,  by  some, 
considered  such  as  to  require  a  separation  of  the 
genus — for  deer,  of  various  species,  have  the  same 
deviation  from  the  general  type.  Again,  the  absence 
of  the  hump  in  the  Llama  species  is  not  an  anatomical 
difference  which  constitutes  a  character,;  for,  as  the 
skeleton  of  the  Bactrian  camel  with  two  humps  does  not 
differ  from  that  of  the  Arabian  with  one,  so  does  the 
bones  of  the  arrangement  of  the  Llama  agree  precisely 
with  the  conformation  of  the  camel.  The  zebu  is  an 
ox,  although  he  has  a  hump.  The  ears  of  the  Llama 
are  longer,  and  the  tail  is  shorter,  than  those  of  the 
camel.  The  similarities  which  determine  the  genus  to 
which  the  camels  and  the  Llamas  belong,  are  prin- 
cipally these : — 1.  Each  species  has  very  remarkable 
peculiarities  connected  with  the  economy  of  their  re- 
production, in  which  they  differ  from  all  other  animals. 
2.  The  camel  and  the  Llama  differ  also  from  every 
other  species  of  the  class  of  ruminating  animals,  in  the 
want  of  horns,  and  in  having  two  large  incisive  teeth 
on  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw.  3.  The  stomachs  of 
the  camel  and  the  Llama  are,  in  some  degree,  similarly 
constructed.  Father  Feuillee  has  described  the  sto- 
mach of  the  Llama  ;  and  maintains  that  it  has  not  only 
a  large  reservoir  for  carrying  water,  but  that,  like  the 
stomach  of  the  camel,  it  has  the  same  machinery  for 
allowing  the  separation  of  solid  from  liquid  aliment. 
Sir  Everard  Home,  however,  describes  this  portion  of 
the  Llama's  stomach  as  only  partially  resembling  that 
of  the  camel.  He  says,  "  the  stomach  has  a  portion 
of  it,  as  it  were,  intended  to  resemble  the  reservoirs 
for  water  in  the  camel ;  but  these  have  no  depth,  are 
only  superficial  cells,  and  have  no  muscular  apparatus 
to  close  their  mouths;  and  allow  the  solid  food  to  pass 
into  the  fourth  cavity,  or  truly  digesting  stomach, 
without  going  into  these  cells."  But  that  the  Llama 
has  an  internal  mechanism  for  retaining  water,  or 
secreting  a  liquid  substance,  is  certain  ;  for,  on  the 
summit  of  the  Andes,  they  are  far  above  any  lakes ; 
and  it  has  been  observed  that,  in  a  state  of  domestica- 
tion, they  never  exhibit  a  desire  to  drink  whilst  tiv'f 


THE    SLOTH.  199 

can  obtain  green  pasture.  4.  The  Llama,  according 
to  Molina  (Storia  Nat.  del  Chili],  has  a  conformation 
resembling  the  camel's  hump,  being  provided  with  an 
excess  of  nutritive  matter,  which  lies  in  a  thick  bed  of 
fat  under  the  skin,  and  is  absorbed  as  a  compensation 
for  an  occasional  want  of  food.  These  remarkable 
similarities  certainly  warrant  naturalists  in  classing  the 
camel  and  the  Llama  in  the  same  genus,  although  they 
differ  both  in  size  and  form.  They  are  each  evidently 
fitted  by  nature  for  the  endurance  of  great  hardships 
and  privations — the  one  amidst  the  sands  of  the  desert, 
under  a  burning  sun — the  other  on  the  wastes  of  some 
of  the  loftiest  mountains  of  the  world,  with  a  region  of 
perpetual  snow  above  them.  The  slight  variations  in 
their  conformation,  such  as  that  of  the  foot,  are  modi- 
fications of  nature  which  fit  them  for  their  respective 
localities.  A  habitation  among  the  rocks  would  be 
mechanically  impossible  for  the  camel ;  whilst  the 
burning  plains  would  be  as  little  suited  to  the  Llama. 
But  each  is  adapted  to  exist  in  a  very  arid  and  sterile 
region  ;  and  their  habits  are  created  by  their  peculiar 
organization." 

THE    UNAII    AND    THE    AI. 

THESE  two  animals  have  the  epithet  of  Sloth  given 
to  them  both  by  most  authors,  on  account  of  theii 
slowness,  and  the  difficulty  with  which  they  walk. 
The  Unau,  or  two-toed  Sloth,  has  no  tail,  and  only 
two  nails  on  the  fore  feet.  The  Ai,  or  three-toed 
Sloth,  has  a  short  tail,  and  three  nails  on  every  foot. 
The  nose  of  the  Unau  is  likewise  much  longer,  the 
forehead  higher,  and  the  ears  longer  than  those  of  the 
Ai.  It  differs  also  in  the  hair.  As  for  its  interior,  its 
visceia  are  both  formed  and  situated  differently ;  but 
the  most  distinctive,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most 
singular  character,  is,  that  the  Unau  has  forty-six  ribs, 
while  the  Ai  has  but  twenty-eight.  This  alone  sup- 
poses two  species,  quite  distinct  one  from  the  other ; 
and  these  forty-six  ribs,  in  an  animal  whose  body  is  so 
short,  is  a  kind  of  excess  or  error  in  nature  ;  for,  even 
in  the  largest  animals,  and  those  whose  bodies  are 
relatively  longer  than  they  are  thick,  not  one  of  them 
IB  found  to  have  so  many.  The  elephant  has  only  forty 


960  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

the  dog  twenty-six,  and  the  human  species  twenty-four, 
&.C.  This  difference  in  the  construction  of  the  Unau 
and  the  Ai  supposes  a  greater  distance  between  these 
two  kinds  than  there  is  between  that  of  the  cat  and  the 
dog,  which  have  the  same  number  of  ribs ;  for  the 
external  differences  are  nothing  in  comparison  with 
the  internal  ones,  which  are  the  causes  of  the  others. 
These  animals  have  neither  incisive  nor  canirfe  teeth  ; 
their  eyes  are  dull  and  heavy;  their  mouths  wide  and 
thick ;  their  fur  coarse  and  staring,  and  like  dried 
grass  ;  their  thighs  seem  almost  disjointed  from  the 
haunch  ;  their  legs  very  short,  and  badly  shaped  ;  they 
have  no  soles  to  the  feet,  nor  toes  separately  moveable, 
but  only  two  or  three  claws  excessively  long,  and 
crooked  downwards  and  backwards.  Unfurnished 
with  teeth,  they  cannot  seize  any  prey,  nor  feed  upon 
flesh,  nor  even  upon  vegetable  food.  Reduced  to  live 
on  leaves  and  wild  fruits,  they  take  up  a  long  time  iu 
crawling  to  a  tree,  and  are  still  longer  in  climbing  up 
to  the  branches.  During  this  slow  and  painful  labour, 
which-  sometimes  lasts  many  days,  they  are  obliged 
to  support  the  most  pressing  hunger;  and  when,  at 
length,  one  of  them  has  accomplished  its  end,  it  fastens 
itself  to  the  tree,  crawls  from  branch  to  branch,  and, 
by  degrees  strips  the  whole  tree  of  its  foliage.  In  this 
manner  it  remains  several  weeks,  without  moistening 
its  dry  food  with  any  liquid  ;  .and  when  it  has  consumed 
the  store,  and  the  tree  is  entirely  naked,  yet  unable  to 
descend,  it  continues  on  till  hunger  presses,  and  that 
becoming  more  powerful  than  the  fear  of  danger  or 
death,  it  drops,  like  a  shapeless,  heavy  mass,  to  the 
ground,  without  being  capable  of  exerting  any  effort  to 
break  the  violence  of  its  fall. 

On  the  ground,  these  animals  are  exposed  to  all  their 
enemies  ;  and,  as  their  flesh  is  not  absolutely  bad,  they 
are  killed  by  men  and  beasts  of  prey.  They  seem  to 
multiply  but  little  ;  or,  if  they  produce  very  often,  it 
is  only  a  small  number,  as  they  are  furnished  but  with 
two  teats.  Every  thing  concurs,  therefore,  to  their 
destruction,  and  the  species  supports  itself  with  great 
difficulty.  It  is  true  that,  although  they  are  slow, 
heavy,  and  almost  incapable  of  motion,  yet  they  are 
hardy,  strong,  and  can  abstain  a  long  time  from  food  : 
covered  also  with  a  thick  and  coarse  fur,  and  unabl* 


THE    SLOTH.  201 

ecarcely  to  move,  they  waste  but  little,  and  fatten  by- 
rest,  however  poor  and  dry  their  food  is.  Although 
they  have  neither  horns  on  their  heads,  nor  hoofs  to 
their  feet,  nor  incisive  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw,  they 
are,  notwithstanding,  among  the  number  of  ruminating 
animals,  and  have,  like  them,  four  stomachs ;  so  that 
they  consequently,  can  compensate  for  the  quality  of 
their  food  by  the  quantity  they  take  at  a  time  ;  and 
what  is  still  more  singular  is,  that,  instead  of  having, 
like  other  ruminating  animals,  very  long  intestines, 
theirs  are  very  short,  like  those  of  the  carnivorous 
kind. 

Both  these  animals  belong  to  the  southern  parts  of 
the  New  Continent,  and  are  never  to  be  met  with  in 
the  Old.  The  Unau,  as  well  as  the  Ai,  is  to  be  met 
with  in  the  deserts  of  America,  from  Brazil  to  Mexico  ; 
but  they  have  never  inhabited  the  northern  countries. 
They  cannot  endure  cold  nor  rain  ;  the  change  from 
wet  to  dry  spoils  their  fur,  which  then  resembles  badly 
dressed  hemp,  rather  than  wool  or  hair. 

Such  is  the  description  given  of  the  Sloth,  by  Buffon 
and  other  naturalists;  and,  judging  of  it  from  such  a 
representation,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  the  animal  has 
become  proverbial  as  one  of  the  most  sluggish  and 
wretched  of  the  whole  brute  creation.  It  happens, 
however,  that  this  description  of  its  habits  and  suffer- 
ings is  sadly  at  variance  with  truth.  Mr.  Waterton, 
who.  in  his  numerous  and  protracted  journeys  through 
the  woods  of  South  America,  had  abundant  opportuni- 
ties of  studying  the  natural  history  of  the  Sloth,  has 
shown  the  incorrectness  of  preceding  writers  upon  this 
subject. 

"  Let  us  turn  our  attention  (says  he)  to  the  Sloth, 
whose  haunts  have  hitherto  been  so  little  known,  and 
probably  little  looked  into.  Those  who  have  written 
on  this  singular  animal  have  remarked  that  he  is  in  a 
perpetual  state  of  pain ;  that  he  is  proverbially  slow 
in  his  movements  ;  that  he  is  a  prisoner  in  space  ;  and 
that,- as  soon  as  he  has  consumed  all  the  leaves  of  the 
tree  upon  which  he  has  mounted,  he  rolls  himself  up 
in  the  form  of  a  ball,  and  then  falls  to  the  ground. 
This  is  not  the  case. 

"  If  the  naturalists  who  have  written  the  history  ot 
the  Sloth  had  gone  into  the  wilds,  in  order  to  examine 


202  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

his  haunts  and  economy,  they  would  not  have  drawn 
the  foregoing  conclusions  ;  they  would  have  learned 
that,  though  all  other  quadrupeds  may  be  described 
while  resting  on  the  ground,  the  Sloth  is  an  exception 
to  this  rule,  and  that  his  history  must  be  written  while 
he  is  in  the  tree. 

"  This  singular  animal  is  destined  by  nature  to  be 
produced,  to  live,  and  to  die,  in  the  trees;  and,  to  do 
justice  to  him,  naturalists  must  examine  him  in  his 
upper  element.  He  is  a  scarce  and  solitary  animal, 
and,  being  good  food,  he  is  never  allowed  to  escape. 
He  inhabits  remote  and  gloomy  forests,  where  snakes 
take  up  their  abode,  and  where  cruelly  stinging  ants 
and  scorpions,  and  swamps,  and  innumerable  thorny 
shrubs  and  bushes,  obstruct  the  steps  of  civilized  man. 
Were  you  to  draw  your  own  conclusions  from  the 
descriptions  which  have  been  given  of  the  Sloth,  you 
would  probably  suspect  that  no  naturalist  had  actually 
gone  into  the  wilds  with  the  fixed  determination  to  find 
him  out  and  examine  his  haunts,  and  see  whether  Na- 
ture has  committed  any  blunder  in  the  formation  of 
this  extraordinary  creature,  which  appears  to  us  so 
forlorn  and  miserable,  so  ill  put  together,  and  so  totally 
unfit  to  enjoy  the  blessings  which  have  been  so  boun- 
tifully given  to  the  rest  of  animated  nature  ;  for,  as  it 
has  formerly  been  remarked,  he  has  no  soles  to  his 
feet,  and  he  is  evidently  ill  at  ease  when  he  tries  to 
move  6n  the  ground  ;  and  it  is  then  that  he  looks  up  in 
your  face  with  a  countenance  that  says,  '  Have  pity  on 
me,  for  I  am  in  pain  and  sorrow.' 

"  It  mostly  happens  that  Indians  and  Negroes  are 
the  people  who  catch  the  Sloth,  and  bring  it  to  the 
white  man.  Hence  it  may  be  conjectured  that  the 
erroneous  accounts  we  have  hitherto  had  of  the  Sloth 
have  not  been  penned  down  with  the  slightest  inten- 
tion to  mislead  the  reader,  or  give  him  an  exaggera  ed 
history,  but  that  these  errors  have  naturally  arisen  by 
examining  the  Sloth  in  those  places  where  Nature 
never  intended  that  he  should  be  exhibited. 

"  However,  we  are  now  in  his  own  domain.  Man 
but  little  frequents  these  thick  and  noble  forests,  which 
extend  far  and  wide  on  every  side  of  us.  This,  then, 
is  the  proper  place  to  go  in  quest  of  the  Sloth.  We 
will  first  tak"  a  near  view  of  h;"n  By  obtaining  a 


THE    SLOTH. 


203 


knowledge  of  his  anatomy,  we  shall  be  enabled  to 
account  for  his  movements  hereafter,  when  we  see  him 
in  his  proper  haunts.  His  fore  legs,  or,  more  correctly 
speaking,  his  arms,  are  apparently  much  too  long, 
while  his  hind  legs  are  very  short,  and  look  as  if 
they  could  be  bent  almost  to  the  shape  of  a  corkscrew. 
Both  the  fore  and  hind  legs,  by  their  form,  and  by  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  joined  to  the  body,  are  quite 
incapacitated  from  acting  in  a  perpendicular  direction, 
or  in  supporting  it  on  the  earth,  as  the  bodies  of  other 
quadrupeds  are  supported,  by  their  legs.  Hence,  when 
you  place  him  on  the  floor,  his  belly  touches  the 
ground.  Now,  granted,  that  he  supported  himself  on 
his  legs  like  other  animals,  nevertheless  he  would  be 
in  pain,  for  he  has  no  soles  to  his  feet,  and  his  claws 
are  very  sharp  and  long,  and  curved  ;  so  that,  were 
his  body  supported  by  his  feet,  it  would  be  by  their 
extremities;  just  as  your  body  would  be  were  you  to 
throw  yourself  on  all  fours,  and  try  to  support  it  on 
the  ends  of  your  toes  and  fingers — a  trying  position. 
Were  the  floor  of  glass,  or  of  a  polished  surface,  the 
Sloth  would  actually  be  quite  stationary  ;  but  as  the 
ground  is  generally  rough,  with  little  protuberances 
upon  it,  such  as  stones,  or  roots  of  grass,  <fec.,  this  just 
suits  the  Sloth,  and  he  moves  his  fore  legs  in  all  direc- 
tions, in  order  to  find  something  to  lay  hold  .of;  and  when 
he  has  succeeded,  he  pulls  himself  forward,  and  is  thus 
enabled  to  travel  onwards,  but,  at  the  same  time,  in  so 
tardy  a  manner  as  to  acquire  him  the  name  of  Sloth. 

"  Indeed,  his  looks  and  his  gestures  evidently  betray 
his  uncomfortable  situation  ;  and,  as  a  sigh  every  now 
and  then  escapes  him,  we  may  be  entitled  to  conclude 
that  he  is  actually  in  pain. 

"  Some  years  ago  I  kept  a  Sloth  in  my  room  for 
several  months.  I  often  took  him  out  of  the  house, 
and  placed  him  upon  the  ground,  in  order  to  have  an 
opportunity  of  observing  his  motions.  If  the  ground 
were  rough,  he  would  pull  himself  forwards  by  means 
of  his  fore  legs,  at  a  pretty  good  pace,  and  he  invaria- 
bly suaped  his  course  towards  the  nearest  tree.  But 
if  1  put  him  upon  a  smooth  and  well  trodden  part  of 
the  road,  he  appeared  to  be  in  trouble  and  distress: 
his  favourite  abode  was  the  back  of  a  chair  ;  and,  after 
getting  all  his  legs  in  a  line  upon  the  topmost  part  of 


204  NATURAL    HISTORIC. 

it,  he  would  hang  there  for  hours  together,  and  often, 
with  a  low  and  inward  cry,  would  seem  to  invite  me  to 
take  notice  of  him. 

"  The  Sloth,  in  its  wild  state,  spends  its  whole  life 
in  the  trees,  and  nev  <r  leaves  them  but  through  force 
or  accident.  An  all-ruling  Providence  has  ordained 
man  to  tread  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  the  eagle 
to  soar  in  the  expanse  of  the  skies,  and  the  monkey  and 
squirrel  to  inhabit  the  trees :  still  these  may  change 
their  relative  situations  without  feeling  much  incon- 
venience ;  but  the  Sloth  is  doomed  to  spend  his  whole 
life  in  the  trees ;  and,  what  is  more  extraordinary,  not 
upon  the  branches,  like  the  squirrel  and  the  monkey, 
but  under  them.  He  moves  suspended  from  the  branch, 
he  rests  suspended  from  it,  and  he  sleeps  suspended 
from  it.  To  enable  him  to  do  this,  he  must  have  a 
very  different  formation  from  that  of  any  other  known 
quadruped. 

"  Hence,  his  seemingly  bungled  conformation  is  at 
once  accounted  for ;  and,  in  lieu  of  the  Sloth  leading 
a  painful  life,  and  entailing  a  melancholy  and  misera- 
ble existence  on  its  progeny,  it  is  but  fair  to  surmise 
that  it  enjoys  life  just  as  much  as  any  other  animal,  and 
that  his  extraordinary  formation  and  singular  habits  are 
but  further  proofs  to  engage  us  to  admire  the  wonder- 
'"ul  works  of  Omnipotence. 

"  It  must  be  observed,  that  the  Sloth  does  not  hang 
head  downwards  like  the  vampyre.  When  asleep,  he 
supports  himself  on  a  branch  parallel  to  the  earth. 
He  first  seizes  the  branch  with  one  arm,  and  then  with 
the  other  ;  and,  after  that,  brings  up  both  his  legs,  ono 
by  one,  to  the  same  branch  ;  so  that  all  four  are  in  a 
line  ;  he  seems  perfectly  at  rest  in  this  position.  Now, 
had  he  a  tail,  he  would  be  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to 
do  with  it  in  this  position  :  were  he  to  draw  it  up  with 
his  legs,  it  would  interfere  with  them;  and  were  he  to 
let  it  hang  down,  it  would  become  the  sport  of  the 
winds.  Thus  his  deficiency  of  tail  is  a  benefit  to  him  ; 
it  is  merely  an  apology  for  a  tail,  scarcely  exceeding 
an  inch  and  a  half  in  length. 

"  I  observed  when  he  was  climbing,  he  never  used 
his  arms  both  together,  but  first  one  and  then  the  other, 
and  so  on  alternately.  There  is  a  singularity  in  his 
hair,  differen  from  that  of  all  other  animals,  and  I  b£- 


THE    SLOTH.  205 

Jieve,  hitherto  unnoticed  by  naturalists  ;  his  hair  is 
thick  and  coarse  at  the  extremity,  and  gradually  tapers 
to  the  root,  where  it  becomes  fine  as  the  finest  spider's 
web.  His  fur  has  so  much  the  hue  of  the  moss  which 
grows  on  the  branches  of  the  tiees,  that  it  is  very  dif- 
ficult to  make  him  out  when  he  is  at  rest. 

"  The  male,  of  the  three-toed  Sloth,  has  a  longitu- 
dinal bar  of  very  fine  black  hair  on  hip  back,  rather 
lower  than  the  shoulder-blades ,  on  each  side  of  this 
black  hair  their  is  a  space  of  yellow  hair,  equally  fine  ; 
it  has  the  appearance  of  being  }.essed  into  the  body, 
and  looks  exactly  as  if  it  had  been  singed.  If  we  ex- 
amine the  anatomy  of  his  fore  legs,  we  shall  immedi- 
ately perceive  by  their  firm  and  muscular  texture,  how 
very  capable  they  are  of  supporting  the  pendent  weight 
of  his  body,  both  in  climbing  and  at  rest ;  and,  instead 
of  pronouncing  them  a  bungled  composition,  as  a  cele- 
brated naturalist  has  done,  we  shall  consider  them  as 
remarkably  well  calculated  to  perform  their  ordinary 
functions. 

"  As  the  Sloth  is  an  inhabitant  of  forests  within  the 
tropics,  where  the  trees  touch  each  other  in  the  great- 
est profusion,  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  he 
should  confine  himself  to  one  tree  alone  for  food,  and 
entirely  strip  it  of  its  leaves.  During  the  many  years 
I  have  ranged  the  forests,  I  have  never  seen  a  tree  in 
such  a  state  of  nudity ;  indeed  I  would  hazard  a  con- 
jecture, that  by  the  time  the  animal  has  finished  the  last 
of  the  old  leaves,  there  would  be  a  new  crop  on  the  part 
of  the  tree  he  had  stripped  first,  ready  for  him  to  be- 
gin again,  so  quick  is  the  process  of  vegetation  in  these 
countries. 

"There  is  a  saying  among  the  Indians,  that  when 
the  wind  blows,  the  Sloth  begins  to  travel.  In  calm 
weather  he  remains  tranquil,  probably  not  liking  to 
cling  to  the  brittle  extremity  of  the  branches,  lest  they 
should  break  with  him  in  passing  from  one  tree  to 
another  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  wind  rises,  the  branches 
of  the  neighbouring  trees  become  interwoven,  and  then 
the  Sloth  seizes  hold  of  them,  and  pursues  his  journey 
in  safety.  There  is  seldom  an  entire  day  of  calm 
in  these  forests.  The  trade  wind  generally  sets  in 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  thus  the  Sloth 
may  set  on' after  breakfast,  and  get  a  considerable  way 
VOL.  II.— 18 


206  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

before  dinner.  He  travels  at  a  good  round  pace  ;  and 
were  you  to  see  him  pass  from  tree  to  tree,  as  I  have 
done,  you  would  never  think  of  calling  him  a  Sloth. 

"  Thus  it  would  appear  that  the  different  histories 
we  have  of  this  quadruped  are  erroneous  on  two  ac- 
counts :  first  that  the  writers  of  them,  deterred  by  di  - 
ficulties  and  local  annoyances,  have  not  paid  sufficient 
attention  to  him  in  his  native  haunts  ;  and,  secondly, 
they  have  described  him  in  a  situation  in  which  he  was 
never  intended  by  nature  to  cut  a  figure,  I  mean  on  the 
ground.  The  Sloth  is  as  much  at  a  loss  to  proceed  on 
his  journey  upon  a  smooth  and  level  floor,  as  a  man 
would  be  who  had  to  walk  a  mile  in  stilts  upon  a 
line  of  feather-beds. 

"vOne  day,  as  we  were  crossing  the  Essequibo,  I  saw 
a  large  two-toed  Sloth  on  the  ground  upon  the  bank  ; 
how  he  got  there  nobody  could  tell :  the  Indian  said  he 
had  never  surprised  a  Sloth  in  such  a  situation  before  ; 
he  would  hardly  have  come  there  to  drink,  for  both 
above  and  below  the  place,  the  branches  of  the  trees 
touched  the  water,  and  afforded  him  an  easy  and  safe 
access  to  it.  Be  this  as  it  may,  though  the  trees  were 
not  above  twenty  yards  from  him,  he  could  not  make 
his  way  through  the  sand  time  enough  to  escape  before 
we  landed.  As  soon  as  we  got  up  to  him,  he  threw 
himself  on  his  back,  and  defended  himself  in  gallant 
style  with  his  fore  legs.  '  Come,  poor  fellow,'  said  I  to 
him,  '  if  thou  hast  got  into  a  hobble  to  day,  thou  shalt 
not  suffer  for  it :  I'll  take  no  advantage  of  thee  in 
misfortune  ;  the  forest  is  large  enough  both  for  thee 
and  me  to  rove  in  :  go  thy  ways  up  above,  and  enjoy 
thyself  in  these  endless  wilds  ;  it  is  more  than  probable 
thou  wilt  never  have  another  interview  with  man.  So, 
fare  the  well.'  On  saying  this.  J  took  up  a  large  stick 
which  was  lying  there,  held  it  for  him  to  hook  on,  and 
then  conveyed  him  to  a  high  and  stately  mora.  He 
ascended  with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  in  about  a 
minute  he  was  almost  at  the  top  of  the  tree.  He  now 
went  off  in  a  side  direction,  and  caught  hold  of  the 
branch  of  a  neighbouring  tree ;  he  then  proceeded 
towards  the  heart  of  the  forest ;  I  stood  looking  on, 
lost  in  amazement  at  his  singular  mode  of  progress. 
I  followed  him  with  my  eye  till  the  intervening 
branches  closed  in  betwixt  us  ;  and  then  I  lost  sight 


THE    SURIKAT THE    TAR9IER.  207 

or  ever  of  the  two-toed  Sloth.  I  was  going  to  add, 
that  I  never  saw  a  Sloth  take  to  his  heels  in  such 
earnest ,  but  the  expression  will  not  do,  for  the  Sloth 
has  no  heels." 


THE    SURIKAT. 

THIS  animal  is  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
and  of  Java.  It  is  very  lively  and  subtle ;  it  some- 
times walks  on  its  hinder  legs,  and  often  sits  upright 
on  them,  with  its  fore  paws  hanging  down  by  the  side 
of  the  body.  Its  head  is  then  erect,  and  moves  upon 
the  neck  as  on  a  pivot.  It  is  not  so  large  as  a  rabbit, 
and  nearly  resembles  the  marmose  in  size  ;  its  tail  is 
somewhat  longer,  and  its  snout  is  more  prominent  and 
raised.  It  is  more  like  the  coati  than  any  other  animal. 
Its  character  likewise  is  nearly  original,  since  it  neither 
belongs  to  the  coati  nor  the  hyaena.  These  two  are  the 
only  animals  which  have  four  toes  to  every  foot. 

This  animal  eats  raw  meat  with  eagerness,  and  par- 
ticularly poultry  and  mice.  It  is  a  great  enemy  to  the 
cockroach.  It  is  fond  of  fish,  and  still  more  of  eggs. 
It  will  eat  neither  fruit  nor  bread.  It  makes  use  of  its 
fore  feet,  like  the  squirrel,  to  carry  its  food  to  its  mouth ; 
it  laps  its  drink  like  a  dog,  and  will  not  touch  water, 
unless  it  is  lukewarm.  Of  one  in  the  French  king's 
collection,  its  common  drink  was  its  own  urine,  although 
of  a  very  strong  smell.  It  did  not  chew  its  food,  but 
often  scratched  the  brick  or  plastered  walls  with  its 
nails.  It  was  so  well  tamed,  that  it  answered  to  its 
name  when  called ;  it  went  about  the  house  like  a  cat, 
and  had  two  voices;  one  like  the  barking  of  a  young 
dog,  when  it  was  left  long  alone,  or  heard  an  unusual 
noise;  on  the  contrary,  when  it  was  caressed,  or  when 
it  showed  some  token  of  pleasure,  it  made  a  noise  as 
strong  as  that  of  a  rattle  briskly  turned.  It  was  a 
female  animal,  and  only  lived  one  winter,  notwith- 
standing all  the  care  that  was  taken  to  feed  and  keep 
it  warm. 


THE    TARSIER 

Is  an  animal  remarkable  for  the  length  of  its  hind 
legs,  which  are  longer  than  the  rest  of  its  whole  body 


208  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

The  bones  of  the  feet,  and  especially  those  which 
compose  the  upper  part  of  the  tarsus,  are  of  an  extra- 
ordinary size  ;  and  it  is  from  this  very  character  we 
have  taken  its  name.  It  has  five  toes  to  every  foot- 
it  has,  as  I  may  say,  four  hands ;  for  the  toes  are  very 
long,  and  sufficiently  divided:  the  largest  of  those 
behind,  or  the  thumb,  is  terminated  by  a  flat  claw ;  and, 
although  the  claws  of  the  other  toes  are  pointed,  they 
are,  at  the  same  time,  so  short  and  so  small,  that  they 
do  not  prevent  the  animal  from  using  its  fore  feet  like 
hands.  The  jerboa,  on  the  contrary,  has  only  four 
toes,  and  four  long  and  crooked  claws,  on  its  fore  feet: 
and,  instead  of  a  thumb,  it  has  only  a  tubercle  without 
any  claw :  but,  what  removes  it  farther  from  our  Tar- 
sier,  is,  that  it  has  only  three  fingers,  or  three  great 
claws,  on  the  hind  feet.  The  Tarsier  is  found  in  some 
remote  islands  of  India;  particularly  in  Amboyna.  One 
species  is  a  native  of  Madagascar. 

THE    PHALANGER. 

THESE  animals,  which  have  been  sent  to  us  by  the 
name  of  Surinam  Rats,  have  much  less  affinity  with 
rats,  than  with  the  animals  of  the  same  climate  of 
which  we  have  given  the  history,  under  the  names  of 
the  marmose  and  cayopollin.  As  it  has  never  been 
named  by  any  artist  or  traveller,  we  have  denominated 
it  from  its  character,  which  is  totally  different  from 
that  of  any  other  animal,  and  have  called  it  Phalanger 
from  its  phalanges  being  singularly  formed,  and  be- 
cause its  two  fore  toes  are  conjoined  in  such  a  manner 
that  this  double  toe  appears  like  a  hoof,  separated  only 
near  the  claws;  the  thumb  is  separated  from  the  fingers, 
and  has  no  claw  at  its  extremity. 

These  animals  vary  in  the  colour  of  the  hair  ;  some 
species  are  about  the  size  of  a  small  rabbit,  or  a  very 
large  rat,  and  are  remarkable  for  the  excessive  length 
of  their  tail,  snout,  and  the  form  of  their  teeth,  which 
alone  is  sufficient  to  distinguish  the  Phalanger  from 
the  marmose,  the  surikat,  the  rat,  and  every  other 
species  of  animals  to  which  it  may  be  supposed  to 
relate.  The  Fox  Phalanger,  to  which  White  gives  the 
name  of  the  Vulpine  Opossum,  is  more  than  three  feet 
and  a  half  in  length.  The  Dwarf  Phalanger,  on  the 


THE  COtlUALLI.N* HAMSTER   RAT.  SOU 

contrary,  which  is  found  on  an  island  near  Van  Die 
man's  Land,  is  not  larger  than  a  mouse. 

THE    COQUALLIN. 

THIS  animal  was  sent  from  America,  by  the  name 
of  the  Orange-coloured  Squirrel.  It  is,  however,  not 
a  squirrel,  although  sufficiently  resembling  it  by  the 
shape  of  the  tail ;  for  it  not  only  differs  by  many  ex- 
ternal characters,  but  also  by  its  nature  and  manners. 

The  Coquallin  is  much  larger  than  the  squirrel ;  it 
is  a  beautiful  animal,  and  very  remarkable  for  its  colour, 
its  belly  being  of  a  fine  yellow,  and  its  head,  as  well 
as  body,  varied  with  white,  black,  brown,  and  orange; 
it  covers  its  back  with  its  tail,  like  the  squirrel,  but 
has  not,  like  that  animal,  small  brushes  of  hair  at  the 
tips  of  the  ears  :  it  never  climbs  up  any  trees,  but 
dwells  in  the  hollows,  and  under  the  roots  of  trees, 
like  the  garden  squirrel.  In  such  places,  it  builds  its 
nest,  and  rears  up  its  young  ;  it  likewise  stores  its  lit- 
tle habitation  with  corn  and  fruit,  to  feed  on  during 
the  winter  ;  it  is  a  jealous  and  cunning  animal,  and  so 
exceedingly  wild,  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  tamed. 

The  Coquallin  is  only  found  in  the  southern  parts  of 
America  ;  the  white  and  orange  coloured  squirrels  of 
the  East  Indies  are  much  smaller,  and  their  colours 
uniform.  These  are  true  squirrels,  which  climb  up 
trees,  and  produce  their  young  on  them;  while  the 
Coquallin,  and  the  American  suisse,  burrow  under 
ground,  like  rabbits,  and  have  no  other  affinity  with 
the  squirrel,  than  a  resemblance  in  the  external  form. 
M.  Frederic  Cuvier  considers  it  as  nothing  more  than 
a  variety  of  the  sciurus  capistratus. 

THE   HAMSTER  RAT. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  also  called  the  German  Mar- 
mot, is  about  the  size  of  the  brown  rat,  but  much 
thicker.  Its  colour  is  reddish  brown  above,  and  black 
beneath  ;  there  are  three  large  oval  white  spots  on  each 
side  of  the  body.  The  ears  are  somewhat  large.  But 
the  pef  nliarity  which  distinguishes  it  is,  that  there  are 
two  pouches  or  receptacles  for  food  on  each  side  of  its 
mouth.  These  are  not  visible  externally  when  empty: 
18* 


*210  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

but,  when  distended,  they  resemble  a  pair  31'  tumid 
bladders,  with  a  smooth,  veiny  surface,  which  the  fur 
of  the  cheeks  conceals.  The  pouches  of  one  which  Dr. 
Russel  dissected,  were  found  stuffed  with  French 
beans,  arranged  lengthwise,  in  such  compact  and  accu- 
rate order,  that  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  conceive 
how  they  had  been  so  placed.  When  loosely  laid  on 
a  table,  they  formed  a  heap  thrice  the  bulk  of  the  ani- 
mal's body.  Austria,  Silesia,  and  some  parts  of  Gei- 
many,  are  their  native  places. 

The  Hamster  is  one  of  the  most  famous  and  most 
pernicious  rats  that  exist.  We  have  fed  one  of  these 
animals  for  many  months,  says  Buffon,  and  afterwards 
had  it  dissected,  and  observed,  that  the  Hamster  resem- 
bled more  the  water  rat,  than  any  other  animal  ;  it 
resembled  it  also  in  the  smallness  of  its  eyes,  and  the 
fineness  of  its  hair  ;  but  its  tail  is  not  so  long  as  that  of 
a  water  rat;  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  much  shorter 
than  that  of  the  short-tailed  mouse.  All  these  animals 
live  under  the  earth,  and  seem  to  be  animated  with  the 
same  instinct ;  they  have  nearly  the  same  habits,  and 
particularly  that  of  collecting  corn,  &,c.,  and  making 
great  magazines  in  their  holes. 

The  habitations  of  the  Hamsters  are  different, 
according  to  their  sex  and  age,  and  also  to  the  quality 
of  the  land  they  inhabit.  That  of  the  male  Hamster  is 
an  oblique  passage,  and  at  the  entrance  is  a  portion  of 
earth  thrown  up.  At  a  distance  from  the  entrance, 
there  is  a  single  hole,  which  descends  in  a  perpendicu- 
lar manner  to  the  chambers  or  cavities  of  the  habitation. 
There  is  no  hillock  of  earth  near  that  hole ;  which  makes 
us  presume,  that  the  oblique  entrance  is  made  hollow 
from  the  outside,  and  that  the  perpendicular  hole,  by 
which  they  come  out,  is  worked  withinside,  from  the 
bottom  to  the  top. 

The  habitation  of  the  female  has  also  an  oblique 
passage,  with  two  or  three,  and  even  eight  perpendi- 
cular holes,  by  which  the  young  ones  may  come  in 
and  go  out.  The  male  and  the  female  have  each  their 
separate  abode  :  that  of  the  female  is  deeper  than  that 
of  the  male. 

The  perpendicular  hole  is  the  common  passage  foi 
coming  in  and  going  out.  By  the  obl'que  road,  they 
throw  out  the  earth  they  scrafch  up.  This  passage 


THE    HAMSTER    RAT.  211 

•Isc  1  as  i  gentle  declivity  into  some  of  the  cavities, 
and  anotl.er  more  steep  into  others  which  serve  for  a 
free  circulation  of  the  air  in  this  subterraneous  habita- 
tion. The  cavity  where  the  female  breeds  her  young 
contains  no  provision,  but  only  a  nest  formed  of  straw 
or  grass.  The  depth  of  the  cavity  is  very  different. 
The  young  Hamster,  of  a  year  old,  makes  its  burrow 
only  a  foot  deep,  while  the  old  animal  often  hollows  it 
to  the  depth  of  four  or  five  feet.  All  the  cavities  com- 
municate together  in  one  habitation,  which  is  about 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter. 

These  animals  store  their  magazines  with  dry  clover, 
corn,  and  other  grain  ;  beans  and  peas  they  likewise 
provide  themselves  with  ;  all  these  they  are  particu- 
larly careful  to  separate  from  the  husk,  which,  with 
every  other  matter  they  do  not  make  use  of,  they  carry 
out  of  their  habitation  by  this  oblique  passage. 

The  Hamster  commonly  gets  in  its  winter  provisions 
at  the  latter  end  of  August.  Its  stores  are  not  meant 
for  a  winter  supply,  it  being  torpid  at  that  season,  but 
for  the  preceding  and  following  period.  When  it  has 
filled  its  magazines,  it  covers  them  over,  and  shuts  the 
avenues  to  them  carefully  with  earth.  This  precau- 
tion renders  the  discovery  of  these  animals  very  diffi- 
cult. The  heaps  of  earth  which  they  throw  up  before 
the  oblique  passage,  are  the  only  marks  to  trace  their 
habitations.  The  most  usual  method  of  taking  them,  is 
by  digging  them  out  of  their  holes,  which  is  attended 
with  much  trouble,  on  account  of  the  depth  and  extent 
of  their  burrows  ;  however,  a  man  versed  in  this  busi- 
ness, commonly  effects  his  purpose  with  good  success. 
In  autumn,  he  seldom  fails  of  finding  two  good  bushels 
of  corn  in.  each  of  their  habitations;  and  he  draws 
great  profit  from  the  skins  of  the  animals.  The  Ham- 
sters bring  forth  their  young  two  or  three  times  in  a 
year,  and  seldom  less  than  five  or  six  each  time.  Some 
years  there  are  great  numbers  of  them  to  be  seen,  and 
in  others,  scarcely  any  to  be  met  with.  They  multi- 
ply in  great  numbers  when  the  seasons  are  wet,  which 
causes  a  great  scarcity  of  grain,  by  the  devastation 
these  animals  make. 

The  tack  of  the  Hamster  is  commonly  brown,  and 
the  belly  black ;  however,  there  are  some  of  a  gray 
Colour ;  and  this  difference  may  proceed  from  their 


812  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

age.  Besides  these,  there  are  some  often  met  with 
which  are  entirely  black. 

The  Hamster  begins  to  burrow  at  the  age  of  six 
weeks,  or  two  months  ;  it  never  procreates,  however, 
in  the  first  year  of  its  growth.  There  are  numbers 
produced  in  one  year,  insomuch,  that,  in  some  parts 
of  Germany,  from  their  occasioning  a  dearth  of  corn, 
a  reward  is  fixed  on  their  heads.  Jn  one  year,  about 
eleven  thousand  skins,  in  another,  fifty-four  thousand, 
and  in  a  third  year  eighty  thousand,  were  produced  at 
the  Town  Hall  of  Gotha,  as  vouchers  to  enable  the 
bearers  to  receive  the  reward.  They  are -likewise  in 
such  great  numbers,  that  their  fur  is  sold  exceedingly 
cheap. 

The  polecat  is  a  great  enemy  to  the  Hamsters, 
which  he  destroys  in  a  great  numbers  ;  he  not  only  pur- 
sues them  on  land,  but  follows  them  into  their  burrows, 
and  feeds  on  them  there. 

The  Hamster  itself  is  one  of  the  most  inveterate 
enemies  of  its  own  kind.  His  life  (says  a  recent 
naturalist)  is  divided  between  eating  and  fighting.  He 
seems  to  have  no  other  passion  than  that  of  rage ; 
which  induces  him  to  attack  every  animal  that  comes 
in  his  way,  without  in  the  least  attending  to  the  strength 
of  the  enemy.  Ignorant  of  the  art  of  saving  himself 
by  flight,  rather  than  yield  he  will  allow  himself  to  be 
beaten  in  pieces  with  a  stick.  If  he  seizes  a  man's 
hand  he  must  be  killed  before  he  will  quit  his  hold.  The 
magnitude  of  the  horse  terrifies  him  as  little  as  the 
address  of  the  dog,  which  last  is  fond  of  hunting  him. 
When  the  Hamster  perceives  a  dog  at  distance,  he  be- 
gins by  emptying  his  cheek-pouches,  if  they  happen 
to  be  filled  with  grain  ;  he  then  blows  them  up  so  pro- 
digiously, that  the  size  of  his  head  and  neck  greatly 
exceeds  that  of  the  rest  of  the  body.  He  raises  him- 
self on  his  hind  legs,  and  thus  darts  upon  the  enemy. 
If  he  catches  hold,  he  never  quits  his  foe  but  with  the 
loss  of  life.  This  ferocious  disposition  prevents  the 
Hamster  from  being  at  peace  with  any  animal  what- 
ever. He  even  makes  war  against  his  own  species. 
When  two  Hamsters  meet,  they  never  fail  to  attack 
each  other,  and  the  stronger  always  devours  the 
weaker.  A  combat  between  a  male  and  female  com 
monbr  lasts  longer  than  that  between  two  males.  Thej 


THE    BOBAC,    AND    OTHER    MARMOTS.  213 

begin  by  pursuing  and  biting  each  other  ;  then  each 
of  them  retires  aside,  as  if  to  take  breath.  After  a 
short  interval  they  renew  the  combat,  and  continue  to 
fight  till  one  of  them  falls. 

THE    BOBAC,    AND    OTHER    MARMOTS. 

THE  name  of  the  Strasbourg  Marmot  has  been 
affixed  to  the  hamster,  and  that  of  the  Poland  Marmot 
to  the  Bobac  ;  but  it  is  certain,  that  the  hamster  is  not 
a  Marmot ;  and  it  is  also  probable  that  the  Bobac  is 
one,  as  it  only  differs  from  the  Marmot  of  the  Alps, 
by  the  colour  of  its  fur,  which  is  not  quite  so  gray. 
There  is  a  great  claw,  or  toe,  to  the  fore  feet  of  the 
hamster,  while  the  Marmot  has  only  four  toes  to  each 
foot ;  but  in  other  respects  it  perfectly  resembles  it. 
It  is  the  same  with  respect  to  the  Canadian  Marmot,  or 
Monax,  which  some  travellers  have  termed  the  Whis- 
tler. It  only  seems  to  differ  from  the  Marmot  by  the 
tail,  which  is  thicker  of  hair. 

The  Bobac  constructs  burrows  obliquely  in  the 
ground,  of  the  depth  of  two,  three,  or  four  yards,  and 
consisting  of  several  galleries.  Where  the  soil  is  hard 
or  rocky,  thirty  or  forty  animals  work  in  concert. 
Towards  the  approach  of  winter,  they  fill  their  bur- 
rows with  the  finest  hay.  They  are  good  natured  and 
timid,  but  when  driven  to  defend  themselves  they  bite 
severely.  It  is  easy  to  tame  them. 

The  Canadian  Monax,  the  Poland  Bobac,  and  the 
Alpine  Marmots,  are,  indeed,  probably  all  the  same 
kind  of  animal,  under  different  denominations.  As  this 
species  prefers  the  coldest  and  highest  mountains  in 
Poland,  Russia,  and  other  parts  of  the  north  of  Europe, 
no  wonder  it  is  found  in  Canada,  where  it  is  only  some- 
what less  than  in  Europe. 

The  Siberian  animal  also  called  by  the  Russians 
Jevras  Chka,  is  a  kind  of  Marmot,  still  less  than  the 
Canadian  Monax. 


JERBOA, 

Is  a  generical  name,  which  we  make  use  of  in  this 
place,  to  denote  those  remarkable  animals  whose  legs 
are  extremely  disproportionate.  In  many  particulars, 


214  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

both  o:  habit  and  conformation,  the  Jerboa  bears  a 
striking  resemblance  to  the  kanguroo  tribe,  though, 
according  to  the  Linnaean  system,  it  does  not  class 
with  it.  Like  the  kanguroo,  it  has  long  hind  leg?, 
which  it  uses  in  leaping.  It  seldom  goes  on  all  fours  ; 
and  its  fore  legs,  which  are  very  short,  are  almost 
wholly  employed  in  holding  its  food,  and  in  making 
its  burrows.  There  are  four  distinct  species  or  varie- 
ties of  this  kind.  First,  the  Tarsier,  of  which  we 
have  already  spoken,  and  which  is  certainly  a  particu- 
lar species,  as  its  toes  are  made  like  those  of  the  mon- 
key, having  five  on  each  foot.  Secondly,  the  Jerboa, 
whose  feet  are  like  the  fissipedes,  with  four  claws  on 
those  before,  and  three  on  those  behind.  Thirdly,  the 
Alagtata,  whose  feet  are  formed  like  those  of  the  Jer- 
boa, with  this  difference,  that  they  have  five  toes  on 
the  fore,  and  three  on  the  hinder  feet,  with  a  spur  or  a 
kind  of  thumb,  or  a  fourth  toe,  much  shorter  than  the 
other.  Fourthly,  the  Daman  Israel,  or  Lamb  of  Is- 
rael, which  has  four  toes  to  the  fore  feet,  and  five  to 
the  hinder,  which  may  possibly  be  the  same  animal 
which  Linnaeus  has  described  by  the  name  of  Mus 
Longipes. 

The  head  of  the  .  erboa  is  sloped  somewhat  in  the 
manner  of  a  rabbit ;  but  the  eyes  are  larger,  and  the 
ears  shorter,  though  elevated  and  open,  with  respect 
to  its  size ;  its  nose  and  hair  are  of  a  flesh  colour,  its 
mouth  short  and  thick,  the  orifice  of  the  mouth  very 
narrow,  the  upper  jaw,  very  full,  the  lower  narrow  anc 
short,  the  teeth  like  those  of  the  rabbit ;  the  mus- 
taches are  composed  of  long  black  and  white  hairs  ; 
the  fore  feet  are  very  short,  and  never  touch  the 
ground  ;  they  are  furnished  with  four  claws,  which  are 
only  used  as  hands  to  carry  the  food  to  the  animal's 
mouth;  the  hind  feet  have  but  three  claws,  the  middle 
one  longer  than  the  other  two  ;  the  tail  is  three  times 
as  large  as  its  body,  and  is  covered  with  short  stubborn 
hair,  of  the  same  colour  as  that  on  the  back,  but  tufted 
at  the  end  with  longer  and  softer  hair  ;  the  legs,  nose, 
and  eyes  are  bare,  and  of  a  flesh  colour ;  the  upper 
part  of  the  head  and  back  are  covered  with  an  ash- 
coloured  hair  ;  the  sides,  throat,  and  belly  are  whitish  ; 
and  below  the  loins,  and  near  the  tail,  there  is  a  large, 
black,  transversal  band,  in  form  of  a  crescent.-  While 


THE    ICHNEUMON.  216 

leaping,  the  Jerboa  stretches  out  its  tail,  but  while 
standing  or  walking,  it  carries  it  in  the  form  of  an  S, 
the  lower  part  touching  the  ground. 

These  little  animals  commonly  conceal  their  hands, 
or  fore  feet,  with  their  hair ;  so  that  they  are  said  by 
some  to  have  only  hinder  feet.  When  they  move  from 
one  place  to  another,  they  do  not  walk,  that  is,  advance 
one  foot  before  the  other,  but  jump,  or  bound,  about 
four  or  five  feet  at  a  time  :  this  they  do  with  the 
greatest  ease  and  swiftness,  holding  themselves  erect, 
after  the  manner  of  birds  when  they  hop  on  the  ground. 
Instead,  however,  of  proceeding  straight  forward,  it 
jumps  first  to  one  side,  and  then  to  the  other.  Such  is 
its  agility,  that  even  a  greyhound  can  scarcely  kill  it. 
They  rest  themselves  in  a  kneeling  posture,  and  only 
sleep  in  the  day.  In  the  night  time,  they  seek  for  their 
food  like  hares,  and,  like  them,  feed  on  grass,  corn,  and 
other  grain.  They  are  of  a  gentle  nature,  but  not  to 
be  tamed  beyond  a  certain  limit.  They  burrow  like 
rabbits,  and  in  much  less  time.  The  excavations  which 
it  forms  are  many  yards  long,  oblique,  and  winding, 
but  not  more  than  half  a  yard  from  the  surface  of  the 
ground.  It  is  fond  of  warmth,  making  its  nest  of  the 
finest  and  most  delicate  herbage  ;  and  seems  sensible 
of  the  approach  of  bad  weather  by  wrapping  itself  up 
close  in  hay,  with  its  head  between  its  thighs.  I 
sleeps  during  winter,  without  nutriment.  The  Jerboa 
breeds  several  times  in  the  summer,  and  usually  brings 
forth  seven  or  eight  young  ones  at  a  litter.  The  flesh 
is  reckoned  one  of  the  greatest  of  delicacies  by  the 
Arabs.  They  are  found  in  Syria,  Phoenicia,  Bar- 
bary,  <fec. 

THE    ICHNEUMON. 

FROM  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the  tail,  the 
Ichneumon  is  from  twenty-four  to  forty-two  inches  in 
length  ;  nearly  half  of  which  is  occupied  by  the  tail. 
At  the  base,  the  tail  is  very  thick  ;  it  tapers  gradually 
towards  the  point,  which  is  slightly  tufted.  The  eyes 
are  of  a  bright  red  ;  the  ears  almost  naked,  small  and 
rounded  :  the  nose  is  long  and  slender.  The  legs  are 
short.  The  hair  is  hard  and  coarse,  and  of  a  paie 
reddish  gray,  each  hair  being  mottled  with  brown  01 
mouse  colour* 


216  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

This  animal  is  domestic  in  Egypt,  like  our  cat;  and, 
like  that,  is  serviceable  in  destroying  rats  and  mice : 
but  its  inclination  for  prey  and  its  instinct  are  much 
stronger  and  more  extensive  than  the  cat's  ;  for  it  hunts 
alike  birds,  quadrupeds,  serpents,  lizards,  and  insects, 
it  attacks  every  living  creature  in  general,  and  feeds 
entirely  on  animal  flesh  ;  its  courage  is  equal  to  the 
sharpness  of  its  appetite ;  it  is  neither  frightened  at 
the  anger  of  the  dog,  nor  the  malice  of  the  cat,  nor 
even  dreads  the  bite  of  the  serpent :  it  pursues  them 
with  eagerness,  and  seizes  on  them,  however  venomous 
they  may  be.  As  soon  as  it  begins  to  feel  the  impres- 
sions of  their  venom,  it  immediately  goes  in  search  of 
antidotes,  and  particularly  a  root  that  the  Indians  call 
by  its  name,  and  which,  they  say,  is  one  of  the  most 
powerful  remedies  in  nature  against  the  bite  of  the 
viper.  It  sucks  the  eggs  of  the  crocodile,  as  well  as 
those  of  fowls  and  birds  ;  it  also  kills  and  feeds  on 
young  crocodiles,  when  they  are  scarcely  come  out  of 
their  shell ;  and,  as  fable  commonly  accompanies  truth, 
it  has  been  currently  reported,  that,  by  virtue  of  this 
antipathy,  the  Ichneumon  enters  the  body  of  the 
crocodile,  when  it  is  asleep,  and  never  quits  it  till  he 
has  devoured  its  entrails.  It  was  formerly  deified  by 
the  Egyptians,  for  its  serviceable  qualities. 

Naturalists  have  supposed  many  kinds  of  Ichneu- 
mons, because  there  are  some  larger  than  others,  and 
of  a  different  coloured  hair;  but,  if  we  consider,  that, 
being  frequently  reared  in  houses,  they  have,  like 
other  domestic  animals,  undergone  varieties,  we  shall 
readily  perceive,  that  this  diversity  of  colour,  and  this 
difference  of  size,  only  indicate  simple  varieties,  not 
sufficient  to  constitute  a  separate  species.  It  also 
appears  that  the  Ichneumons  in  Egypt,  which  may  be 
said  to  be  domestic,  are  longer  than  those  in  India 
which  are  in  a  wild  state. 

The  ffehneumon  lives  very  willingly  by  the  sides  of 
rivers,  inundations,  and  other  waters,  and  is  reported 
to  swim  and  dive  occasionally,  like  an  otter,  and  to 
remain  for  a  considerable  time  beneath  the  liquid 
element.  It  quits  its  habitation  to  seek  its  prey  near 
habitable  places.  It  sometimes  carries  its  head  erect, 
foreshortens  its  body,  and  raises  itself  upon  its  hind 
egs ;  at  other  times  it  creeps  and  lengthens  itself  like 


THE  ICHNEUMON THE    VANSIRE.  217 

a  serpent ;  it  often  sits  upon  its  hind  feet,  and  often 
springs  upon  its  prey;  its  eyes  are  lively,  and  full  of 
fire ;  its  aspect  is  beautiful,  the  body  very  active,  the 
legs  short,  the  tail  thick  and  very  long,  and  the  hair 
rough  and  bristly.  Both  male  and  female  have  a  re- 
markable orifice,  independent  of  the  natural  passages. 
It  is  a  kind  of  pocket,  into  which  an  odoriferous  liquor 
filters.  They  pretend,  that  it  opens  this  bag,  or  pocket, 
to  refresh  itself  when  too  hot.  Its  noise  is  very  sharp, 
and  its  mouth  narrow,  which  prevents  it  from  seizing 
and  biting  any  thing  very  large ;  but  this  defect  is 
amply  supplied  by  its  agility,  courage,  and  by  its 
power;  it  very  easily  strangles  a  cat,  although  much 
larger  and  stronger  than  itself;  it  often  fights  with 
dogs  ;  and,  of  whatever  size  they  are,  it  commonly  gets 
the  better  of  them.  It  may  easily  be  domesticated, 
and  is  then  more  tame,  obedient,  and  affectionate  than 
a  cat. 

THE    GRAY    ICHNEUMON, 

WHICH  is  the  Nems  of  Buffbn,  is  a  native  of  India, 
though  he  erroneously  assigns  Africa  as  the  country 
to  which  it  belongs.  It  is  of  a  pale  gray,  the  hairs 
being  for  the  major  part  of  a  dirty  yellowish  white, 
relieved  by  narrow  rings  of  brown  towards  their 
extremities.  The  head  and  limbs  are  of  a  darker  hue 
than  the  other  parts.  A  specimen  of  this  animal  is  now 
in  the  menagerie  of  the  Tower.  It  possesses  all  the 
characteristic  spirit  and  activity  of  the  genus  to  which 
it  belongs.  On  one  occasion  a  dozen  full  grown  rats 
were  let  loose  in  a  room  sixteen  feet  square,  all  of 
which  this  individual  killed  in  little  more  than  a  minute 

THE    VANSIRE. 

THOSE  who  have  spoken  of  this  animal  have  taken 
it  for  the  ferret,  which  indeed  it  resembles  in  many 
respects,  though  it  differs  from  it  by  characters  strong 
enough  to  make  it  a  distinct  species.  It  is  nowarranged 
among  the  ichneumons.  The  Vansire  has  twelve  teeth, 
or  grinders,  in  its  upper  jaw,  while  the  ferret  has  only 
eight.  The  Vansire  also  differs  in  the  colour  of  its 
hair  from  all  ferrets;  although  like  every  other  nnimaJ 
VOL.  II.— 19 


218  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

which  man  is  careful  in  rearing  and  increasing,  those 
creatures  vary  much,  both  male  and  female.  It  is 
found  at  the  Mauritius,  and  at  Madagascar,  by  the 
natives  of  which  latter  island  it  is  called  Vohang-shira. 
The  animal  called  by  some  the  Weasel  of  Java,  and 
by  others  the  Ferret  of  Java,  is  a  kindred  species  to 
the  Vansire. 

THE    FOSSAN 

Is  called  by  some  travellers  the  Genet  of  Madagas- 
car;  but  it  is,  in  general,  much  smaller  than  the  genet ; 
and  what  proves  it  not  to  be  of  that  kind,  is,  that  it  has 
no  odoriferous  bag,  the  essential  attribute  belonging  to 
that  animal.  It  has  a  slender  body,  covered  with  hair 
of  an  ash  colour,  mixed  with  tawny.  The  sides  of  the 
face  are  black;  at  the  hind  part  of  the  head  are  four 
black  lines,  extending  from  thence  towards  the  shoul- 
ders ;  the  tail  is  long,  and  annulated  with  black.  Its 
manners  are  much  like  those  of  our  polecat;  and, 
when  the  male  Fossan  is  in  heat,  it  emits  a  very  strong 
smell  like  musk.  It  eats  both  flesh  and  fruit,  but  prefers 
the  last,  particularly  bananas.  It  is  a  very  wild  animal, 
and  very  difficult  to  be  tamed.  The  eye  of  the  Fossan 
represents  a  black  globe,  very  large  in  comparison 
with  the  size  of  its  head,  which  gives  this  animal  a 
mischievous  look.  It  is  a  native  of  Madagascar, 
Guinea,  Cochinchina,  and  the  Philippine  Isles.  It  is 
called  the  Berba  in  Guinea. 


THE    MAKl. 

THIS  name  of  Maki  has  been  given  to  many  differ- 
ent kinds  of  animals.  The  first  class  is  the  Mocock, 
or  Macauco;  the  second  is  the  Mongoos,  commonly 
called  the  Brown  Maki  •  and  the  third  kind  is  the 
Vari,  called  by  some  the  Pied  Maki.  They  all  have 
a  considerable  analogy  with  the  monkey  tribe,  though 
they  differ  from  it  in  some  essential  particulars.  Like 
the  monkeys,  they  belong  to  the  quadrumana. 

The  Macauco  (which  is  the  ring-tailed  lemur  of 
Shaw)  is  a  beautiful  animal,  remarkable  for  the  large 
ness  of  its  eyes,  and  the  length  of  the  hinder  legs, 
which  by  far  exceed  those  before  5  by  its  beautiful  ant 


THE     MAKI.  219 

long  tail,  which  is  continually  elevated  and  in  motion, 
and  upon  which  are  upwards  of  thirty  rings,  alternately 
black  an.1  white,  all  very  distinct  and  separate  one 
from  the  other.  It  is  gentle  ;  and,  although  it  greatly 
resembles  the  monkey  in  many  particulars,  it  is  not 
so  malicious  in  its  nature.  It  is  a  gregarious  animal, 
commonly  found  in  company  in  its  natural  state;  in 
Madagascar,  thirty  or  forty  are  seen  herding  together. 
It  sleeps  in  a  sitting  posture,  with  its  snout  resting 
/:rupon  its  breast;  its  body  is  no  thicker  than  that  of  a 
cat;  but  is  longer;  and  it  appears  larger,  as  the  legs 
of  the  animal  are  very  long.  The  hair  is  soft,  and 
stands  upright. 

The  Mongoos  is  less  than  the  Macauco  ;  but  its  hair 
is,  like  that,  of  a  short  and  silken  nature  ;  but  a  little 
curled  ;  the  nose  is  also  thicker,  and  much  resembling 
that  of  the  Vari.  We  had  a  Mongoos  in  our  possession 
for  several  years;  its  coat  was  of  a  brown  colour,  the 
eyes  yellow,  the  nose  black,  and  the  ears  short.  It 
had  a  custom  of  playing  with  and  biting  its  tail,  and 
had,  by  this  method,  lessened  it  by  four  or  five  of  the 
last  vertebrae.  Whenever  it  got  loose!  it  visited  the 
shops  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  would  make  free 
with  fruit,  sugar,  sweetmeats,  <fcc.  to  obtain  which  it 
would  ope^i  the  boxes.  At  such  times,  it  was  difficult 
to  retake  it ;  and  it  would  bite  those  that  attempted  it, 
even  its  keeper. 

The  Vari  (wTiich  is  the  lemur  macaco  of  Linnaeus) 
is  much  larger,  stronger,  and  wilder  than  the  Macauco, 
and  is  said  to  be  even  exceedingly  savage  and  mis- 
chievous in  its  free  state.  Travellers  tell  us,  that  these 
animals  are  as  furious  as  tigers,  and  very  difficult  to  be 
tamed  ;  and  that  its  voice  is  so  very  loud,  that,  when 
there  are  only  two  together  in  the  woods,  it  might  be 
imagined  that  the  noise  they  made  proceeded  from  a 
hundred.  Others,  however,  with  more  appearance  of 
truth,  describe  it  as  of  a  mild  and  indolent  disposition. 
Its  hair,  in  general,  is  much  longer  than  that  of  the 
Macauco  :  and  it  has  a  kind  of  ruff  round  the  neck, 
consisting  of  very  long  hair.  In  other  respects  its  hair 
is  black  and  white,  and,  although  very  long,  stands 
nearly  upright ;  its  snout  is  thicker  and  longer  than 
that  of  the  Macauco  ;  its  ears  much  shorter,  and  edged 
with  long  hair  ;  and  its  eyes  are  of  so  deep  an  orange 


220  NATURAL  HISTORY'. 

colour,  that,  if  not  minutely  inspected,  they  appear  to 
be  red. 

The  Macauco,  the  Mongoos,  and  the  Vari,  are  all 
of  the  same  country.  They  seem  to  be  confined  to 
Madagascar  and  the  neighbouring  islands. 

THE  WHITE  HEADED  MONGOOS. 

OF  this  variety  of  the  Mongoos  there  are  now  a  male 
and  female  in  the  Tower  Menagerie.  "  It  is  charac-^ 
terized  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  by  the  clear  fulvous  brown 
colour  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  body  and  outer  side 
of  the  limbs,  gradually  becoming  lighter  on  the  under 
and  inner  surfaces,  and  deepening  in  its  shade  towards 
the  tail,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  nearly  black. 
The  muzzle  and  the  hands  are  bluish  black.  The  male 
has  the  whole  of  the  forehead,  the  sides  of  the  cheeks, 
and  the  under  part  of  the  lower  lip  covered  with  a 
white  fur,  which  in  the  female  is  of  a  blackish  gray, 
and  much  less  developed  ;  her  general  colour  is  also 
of  a  lighter  tinge.  This  remarkable  difference  would 
lead  us  to  question  the  specific  identity  of  the  two  ani- 
mals, were  we  not  assured  by  M.  F.  Cuvier,  that  he 
had  verified  the  fact  by  what  is  usually  regarded  as  an 
unequivocal  test.  Mr.  M'Leay  has,  however,  thrown 
considerable  doubt  upon  the  accuracy  of  the  inference 
thus  attempted  to  be  drawn,  by  exhibiting  to  the  Lin- 
naean  Society  a  female,  in  whom  the  white  fur  of  the 
head  was  as  distinctly  developed  as  in  her  male  com- 
panion. The  whole  of  the  species  of  this  group 
require,  in  fact,  an  accurate  revision." 

The  manners  and  habits  of  the  Mongoos  tribe  are 
thus  described  by  the  same  accurate  and  entertaining 
writer  : — "  The  whole  of  the  genus  are  natives  of  Ma- 
dagascar and  of  two  or  three  of  the  smaller  islands  in 
its  immediate  vicinity.  They  appear  to  occupy  in  that 
remarkable  and  very  imperfectly  known  country  the 
place  of  the  monkeys,  none  of  which  have  yet  been 
detected  within  its  precincts.  They  are  said  to  live 
in  numerous  troops,  upon  the  trees,  and  to  feed  upon 
fruits  and  insects  ;  but  their  habits  in  a  state  of  nature 
have  not  yet  been  observed  with  sufficient  accuracy  to 
enable  us  to  form  any  clear  idea  of  their  mode  of 
existence.  In  captivity,  they  are  particularly  tame, 


THE    BENGAL    LORIS.  221 

and  good  tempered,  fond  of  being  noticed,  delighting 
in  motion,  and  climbing  and  leaping  with  surprising 
agility.  They  are,  however,  in  oume  degree  noctur- 
nal ;  and  when  undisturbed  pass  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  day  in  sleep.  If  alone,  thiy  roll  themselves  up 
in  the  form  of  a  ball,  and  wind  their  long  tail  in  a  very 
curious  manner  round  their  body,  apparently  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  themselves  warm  ;  for  they  are 
naturally  chilly,  and  delight  in  basking  in  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  or  in  creeping  as  close  as  possible  to  the  fire. 
When  two  of  them  are  confined  together,  they  inter- 
lace their  limbs  and  tails  after  a  singular  fashion,  and 
placing  their  heads  in  such  a  position  as  that  eaih  may, 
if  disturbed,  see  what  is  going  on  behind  the  other's 
back,  fall  comfortably  asleep." 

THE  BENGAL  LORIS,  OR  SLOW  LEMUR. 

THE  Lemurs  are  closely  allied  to  the  monkeys,  by 
their  habits  and  their  hand-like  paws.  It  is  in  the 
shape  of  the  head,  which  has  some  resemblance  to  that 
of  the  dog,  and  in  the  great  length  of  their  hind  legs,  that 
they  chiefly  differ  from  ^them.  So  long  are  the  hind 
legs,  that,  when  the  animals  walk  on  all  fours,  their 
shoulders  are  much  less  elevated  than  their  haunches. 
In  climbing  trees,  this  is  of  great  advantage  to  them. 
Many  of  them  are  exceedingly  active,  and  leap  from 
branch  to  branch  with  a  rapidity  which  almost  baffles 
the  eye  to  follow. 

Not  so,  however,  the  Bengal  Loris,  which  is  so 
sluggish  in  its  motions,  that  some  have  been  erro- 
neously induced  to  consider  it  as  a  sloth.  It  is  about 
the  size  of  a  small  cat,  and  has  a  flattish  face,  a  nose 
rather  sharp,  and  extremely  prominent  eyes  ;  it  is  of 
a  pale  brown  or  mouse  colour  ;  round  the  eyes  is  a  cir- 
cle of  dark  brown,  and  along  the  middle  of  the  back 
runs  a  stripe  of  the  same  colour.  During  the  greatest 
part  of  the  day  it  sleeps,  or  at  least  lies  without  mo- 
tion. 

One  of  these  animals  is  described  by  the  late  Sir 
William  Jones,  in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  Asiatic 
Researches.  "  In  his  manners  (says  he)  he  was  for 
the  most  part  gentle,  except  in  the  cold  season,  when 
hi  temper  seems  wholly  changed ;  and  h!s  Creatoi 
19* 


222  NATCRAL  HISTORY. 

who  made  him  so  sensible  of  cold,  to  which  he  must 
often  have  been  exposed  even  in  his  native  forests, 
gave  him,  probably  for  that  reason,  his  thick  fur: 
which  we  rarely  see  on  animals  in  these  tropical  cli- 
mates. To  me,  who  not  only  constantly  fed  him,  but 
bathed  him  twice  a  week  in  water  accommodated  to 
the  seasons,  and  whom  he  clearly  distinguished  from 
others,  he  was  at  all  times  grateful ;  but  when  I  dis- 
turbed him  in  winter  he  was  usually  indignant,  and 
seemed  to  reproach  me  with  the  uneasiness  which  he 
felt,  though  no  possible  precautions  had  been  omitted 
to  keep  him  in  a  proper  degree  of  warmth.  At  all 
times  he  was  pleased  at  being  stroked  on  the  head  and 
throat,  and  he  frequently  suffered  me  to  touch  his 
extremely  sharp  teeth  :  but  his  temper  was  always 
quick ;  and  when  he  was  unseasonably  disturbed,  he 
expressed  a  little  resentment,  by  an  obscure  murmur, 
like  that  of  a  squirrel;  or  a  greater  degree  of  displea- 
sure by  a  peevish  cry,  especially  in  winter,  when  he 
was  often  as  fierce,  on  being  much  importuned,  as  any 
beast  of  the  woods. 

"  From  half  an  hour  after  sunrise  to  half  an  hour 
before  sunset,  he  slept  without  intermission,  rolled  up 
like  a  hedgehog;  and,  as  soon  as  he  awoke,  he  began 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  labours  of  his  approaching 
day,  licking  and  dressing  himself  like  a  cat ;  an  opera- 
tion which  the  flexibility  of  his  neck  and  limbs  enabled 
him  to  perform  very  completely  :  he  was  then  ready 
for  a  slight  breakfast,  after  which  he  commonly  took 
a  short  nap ;  but  when  the  sun  was  quite  set,  he  reco- 
vered all  his  vivacity. 

"  His  ordinary  food  was  the  sweet  fruit  of  this  coun- 
try; plantains  always,  and  mangoes  during  the  season; 
but  he  refused  peaches,  and  was  not  fond  of  mulber- 
ries, or  even  of  guiavas ;  milk  he  lapped  eagerly,  but 
was  content  with  plain  water.  In  genera]  he  was  not 
voracious,  but  he  never  appeared  satisfied  with  grass- 
hoppers ;  and  passed  the  whole  night,  while  the  hot 
season  lasted,  in  prowling  for  them.  When  a  grass- 
hopper, or  any  insect,  alighted  within  his  reach,  his 
eyes,  which  he  fixed  on  his  prey,  glowed  with  uncom- 
mon fire  ;  and,  having  drawn  himself  back,  to  spring 
on  it  with  greater  force,  he  seized  the  prey  with  both 
his  fore  paws,  but  held  it  in  one  of  them  while  he 


THE   BENGAL   LORIS— JAVELIN  BAT. 

devoured  it.  For  other  purposes,  and  sometimes  even 
for  that  of  holding  his  food,  he  used  all  his  paws  indif- 
ferently as  hands,  and  frequently  grasped  with  one  of 
them  the  higher  parts  of  his  ample  cage,  while  his  three 
others  were  severally  engaged  at  the  bottom  of  it ;  but 
the  posture  of  which  he  seemed  fondest  was  to  cling 
with  all  four  of  them  to  the  wires,  his  body  being 
inverted.  In  the  evening,  he  usually  stood  erect  for 
many  minutes,  playing  on  the  wires  with  his  fingers, 
and  rapidly  moving  his  body  from  side  to  side,  as  if 
he  had  found  the  utility  of  exercise  in  his  unnatural 
state  of  confinement. 

"  A  little  before  daybreak,  when  my  early  hours 
gave  me  frequent  opportunities  of  observing  him,  he 
seemed  to  solicit  my  attention  ;  and  if  I  presented  my 
finger  to  him,  he  licked  or  nibbled  it  with  great  gen- 
tleness, but  eagerly  took  fruit  when  I  offered  it;  though 
he  seldom  ate  much  at  his  morning  repast :  when  the 
day  brought  back  his  night,  his  eyes  lost  their  lustie 
and  strength,  and  he  composed  himself  for  a  slumber 
of  ten  or  eleven  hours. 

"  My  little  friend  was,  on  the  whole,  very  engaging  ; 
and  when  he  was  found  lifeless,  in  the  same  posture 
in  which  he  would  naturally  have  slept,  I  consoled 
myself  with  believing  that  he  died  without  much  pain, 
and  lived  with  as  much  pleasure  as  he  could  have  en- 
joyed in  a  state  of  captivity." 

THE    JAVELIN    BAT. 

THE  animal  in  question  we  have  denominated  the 
Javelin  Bat,  from  a  sort  of  comb,  or  membrane,  on  its 
nose,  which  perfectly  resembles  the  head  of  a  lance. 
Although  this  character  alone  is  nearly  sufficient  to 
distinguish  it  from  all  other  animals,  yet  we  can  add 
gome  others,  as  its  having  scarcely  any  tail,  and  its 
hair  and  size  being  nearly  like  the  common  bat,  with 
this  difference,  that  instead  of  having  six  incisive  teeth 
in  the  lower  jaw,  it  has  only  four.  This  kind  of  Bat 
is  very  common  in  America,  and  never  found  in 
Europe. 

There  is  another  Bat  in  Senegal,  which  has  also  a 
membrane  upon  its  nose,  not  in  the  form  of  a  horse- 
shoe, as  in  one  species  we  have  observed,  or  the  heao 


224  NATURAL    HISTORT 

of  a  javelin,  as  in  this,  but  in  the  shape  of  an  oval 
leaf.  These  three  Bats,  being  of  different  climates, 
are  not  simple  varieties,  but  distinct  and  separate  spe- 
cies. 

Bats,  which  have,  in  other  respects,  great  affinity 
with  birds,  by  their  power  of  flying,  and  by  the 
strength  of  the  pectoral  muscles,  seem  to  resemble 
them  still  more  in  these  membranes,  or  combs,  which 
they  have  on  their  face  ;  for  most  birds  have  also 
combs,  or  membranes,  about  their  beak,  or  head, 
which  seem,  in  every  respect,  as  superfluous  as  those 
of  the  Bat  kind. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

Of  the  Serval—The  Ocelot— The  Margay— The  Jackal 
and  the  Adil — The  Isatis — The  Glutton — the  Stink- 
ing Polecats — The  Pekan  and  the  Vison — The  Sa- 
ble—  The  Lemming — The  Canadian  Otter — The 
Seal — The  Common  Seal — The  Ursine  Seal — The 
Bottlenose  Seal — The  Sea  Lion — The  Walrus,  or 
Morse — The  Manati — The  Whale-tailed  Morse — 
The  Round-tailed  Manati — The  Sea  Ape  Manati. 

THE   SERVAL. 

THIS  animal  has  been  kept  alive  several  years  in  the 
royal  menagerie  of  France,  by  the  name  of  the  Tiger 
Cat ;  and  we  should  have  still  remained  ignorant  of  its 
true  name,  if  M.  de  Montmirail  had  not  discovered  it 
in  the  account  of  an  Italian  voyage,  which  he  has 
translated  : — "  The  Maraputia,  which  the  Portuguese 
in  India  call  Serval"  says  Vincent  Maria,  "  is  a  wild 
and  ferocious  animal,  much  larger  than  the  wild  cat, 
and  something  less  than  the  civet,  which  it  differs  from 
by  its  head  being  rounder  and  thicker  in  proportion  to 
its  body,  and  its  face  sinking  in  about  the  middle  of  it. 
It  resembles  the  panther  in  the  colour  of  the  hair,  which 
is  brown  upon  the  head,  back,  and  sides,  and  white 
upon  the  belly  ,  also  in  the  spots,  which  are  distinct 


THE    SERVAL THE    OCELOT.  225 

equally  distributed,  and  less  than  those  of  the  panther  ; 
its  eyes  are  brilliant ;  its  whiskers  are  composed  of 
long  and  stiff  bristles  ;  its  tail  is  short ;  its  feet  large, 
and  armed  with  long  and  hooked  claws.  It  lives 
ameng  the  mountains  of  India,  and  is  very  seldom  seen 
on  the  ground  ;  it  remains  almost  continually  upon 
high  trees,  where  it  catches  birds,  on  which  it  feeds. 
It  leaps  also  as  nimbly  as  a  monkey,  and  goes  from  one 
tree  to  another  with  such  great  address  and  agility, 
that  it  passes  over  a  great  space  in  a  short  time,  and, 
we  may  say,  only  appears  and  disappears.  It  is  fero- 
cious in  its  nature,  but  flies  at  the  sight  of  man." 

Neither  captivity,  nor  good  or  bad  treatment,  will 
tame  or  soften  the  ferocity  of  this  animal.  It  seems  to 
be  the  same  creature  as  the  tiger  cat  of  Senegal  and 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which,  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  travellers,  resembles  our  cat  in  its  shape  and 
size.  "  This  animal,"  they  say,  "  is  four  times  as 
large  as  a  cat,  of  a  voracious  nature,  and  feeds  like  the 
monkey,  the  rat,"  <fcc. 

THE  OCELOT. 

IN  describing  the  Ocelot,  serious  mistakes  have  been 
committed  by  Buffon  and  other  naturalists.  It  is  to  Mr. 
Bennett  that  we  are  indebted  for  the  latest  and  most 
accurate  description  of  this  animal.  Nearly  equal  in 
size  to  the  lynx  of  Europe  (says  he),  but  shorter  in  its 
proportions  and  more  graceful  in  its  form,  it  holds,  as 
it  were,  a  middle  station  between  the  leopard  and  the 
domestic  cat.  Its  body,  when  full  grown,  is  nearly 
three  feet  in  length,  and  its  tail  rather  more  than  one ; 
while  its  medium  height  may  be  reckoned  at  about 
eighteen  inches.  The  ground  colour  of  its  fur  is  gray, 
mingled  with  a  slight  tinge  of  fawn,  and  on  this  it  is 
elegantly  marked  with  numerous  longitudinal  bands, 
the  dorsal  one  being  continuous  and  entirely  black,  and 
the  lateral,  to  the  number  of  six  or  seven  on  each  side, 
consisting  for  the  most  part  of  a  series  of  elongated 
spots  with  black  margins,  sometimes  completely  dis- 
tinct, and  sometimes  running  together.  The  centre  of 
each  of  these  spots  offers  a  deeper  tinge  of  fawn  than 
the  ground  colour  external  to  them  ;  and  this  deeper 
tinge  is  also  conspicuous  on  the  upper  part  of  the  head 


26  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

and  neck,  and  on  the  outside  of  the  limbs,  all  of  which 
parts  are  irregularly  marked  with  full  black  lines  and 
spots  of  various  sizes.  From  the  top  of  the  head,  be- 
tween the  ears,  there  pass  backwards,  towards  the  shoul- 
ders, two,  or  more  frequently  four,  uninterrupted  di- 
verging bands,  which  are  full  black  anteriorly,  but  gene- 
rally bifurcate  posteriorly,  and  enclose  a  narrow  fawn 
coloured  space  within  a  black  margin  ;  between  these 
there  is  a  single  longitudinal  somewhat  interrupted  nar- 
row black  line,  occupying  the  centre  of  the  neck  above. 
The  ears  are  short  and  rounded,  and  externally  mar- 
gined with  black,  surrounding  a  large  central  whitish 
spot.  The  under  parts  of  the  body  are  whitish,  spot- 
ted with  black,  and  the  tail,  which  is  of  the  same  ground 
colour  with  the  body,  is  also  covered  with  blackish 
spots.  The  tail  of  the  specimen  in  the  Tower  does  not 
exceed  six  or  seven  inches,  but,  as  it  ends  abruptly,  it 
has,  in  all  probability,  been  shortened  by  some  accident. 
The  animal  in  the  Tower  was  sent  from  Trinidad, 
under  the  name  of  the  Peruvian  Tiger.  It  is  exten- 
sively spread  over  the  American  continent,  being 
found  in  the  widely  separated  regions  of  Mexico  and 
Paraguay,  where  it  abides  in  the  depths  of  the  forests 
during  the  day,  and  giving  chase  at  night  to  birds  and 
small  quadrupeds.  As  it  is  an  active  climber,  it  follows 
the  birds  even  to  their  nests.  "  It  is  easily  tamed  (says 
Mr.  Bennet)  but  seldom  loses  all  trace  of  its  natural 
ferocity.  D'Azara,  however,  speaks  of  one  which  was 
so  completely  domiciliated  as  to  be  left  at  perfect 
liberty ;  it  was  strongly  attached  to  its  master,  and 
never  attempted  to  make  its  escape.  The  specimen  in 
the  Tower,  which  is  a  male,  is  perfectly  good  tempered, 
exceedingly  fond  of  play,  and  has,  in  fact,  much  of 
the  character  and  manners  of  the  domestic  cat.  Its 
food  consists  principally  of  rabbits  and  of  birds,  the 
latter  of  which  it  plucks  with  the  greatest  dexterity, 
and  always  commences  its  meal  with  their  heads,  of 
which  it  appears  to  be  particularly  f  >nd.  It  does  not 
eat  with  the  same  ravenous  avidity  w  rich  chaiacterizes 
nearly  all  the  animals  of  ita  tribe." 

THE    MARGAY 

Is  much  smaller  than  the  ocelot.     It  resembles  the 
wild   cat  in  the  size  and  shape  of  its  body  ;  its  head 


THE     JACKAL    AND    THE    ADIL.  22? 

only  is  more  square,  its  snout  longer,  its  ears  rounder, 
and  its  tail  longer ;  its  hair  also  is  shorter,  and  it  has 
black  streaks  and  spots  on  a  brown  ground.  Its  skin 
is  fawn-coloured  above,  and  whitish  beneath,  with 
longish  spots  of  dark  brown,  disposed  in  fine  lines, 
straight  on  the  back,  and  oblique  on  the  flanks.  The 
shoulders  are  spotted  with  a  deep  reddish  brown,  and 
bordered  with  a  black  brown.  The  tail  is  irregularly 
annulated.  It  was  sent  us  from  Cayenne,  by  the  name 
of  the  tiger-cat;  and,  in  fact,  it  partakes  of  the  nature 
of  the  cat  and  the  jaguar.  According  to  Fernandez, 
when  this  animal  has  arrived  at  its  full  growth,  it  is 
not  quite  so  large  as  the  civet;  and,  according  to 
Marcgrave,  whose  comparison  is  juster,  it  is  about  the 
size  of  a  wild  cat,  which  it  also  resembles  in  its  natural 
habits,  living  only  upon  fowls,  and  other  small  game; 
but  it  is  very  difficult  to  be  tamed,  and  never  loses  its 
natural  ferocity  ;  it  varies  greatly  in  its  colour,  though 
commonly  it  is  such  as  we  have  here  described  it. 
This  animal  is  very  common  in  Brazil  and  Guiana. 

THE  JACKAL  AND  THE  ADIL. 

WE  are  not  certain  that  these  two  names  denote  two 
animals  of  different  species.  We  only  know  that  the 
Jackal  is  a  larger  animal,  which  is  more  ferocious  and 
difficult  to  be  tamed  than  the  Adil.  As  both  the  Jackal 
and  the  Adil,  however,  are  natives  of  the  same  coun- 
tries;  as  the  species  has  not  been  altered  by  a  long 
domesticity ;  and  as  there  is  a  considerable  difference 
in  the  size,  and  even  in  the  nature  of  these  animals ; 
we  shall  look  on  them  as  two  distinct  species. 

"  In  size  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  he  is  about  equal  to  the 
common  fox,  but  he  differs  from  that  equally  trouble- 
some animal  in  the  form  of  the  pupils  of  his  eyes, 
which  correspond  with  those  of  the  dog  and  of  the 
wolf;  in  the  comparative  shortness  of  his  legs  and 
muzzle;  in  his  less  tufted  and  bushy  tail;  and  in  the 
peculiar  marking  of  his  coat.  The  colouring  of  his 
back  and  sides  consists  of  a  mixture  of  gray  and  black, 
which  is  abruptly  and  strikingly  distinguished  from  the 
deei  and  uniform  tawny  of  his  shoulders,  haunches, 
and  legs  :  his  head  is  nearly  of  the  same  mixed  shade 
with  the  upper  surface  of  his  body»  as  is  also  the 


228  NATURAL    HlMTOnlT. 

greater  part  of  his  tail,  which  latter,  however,  become* 
black  towards  its  extremity  ;  his  neck  and  throat  are 
whitish,  and  the  under  surface  of  his  body  is  distin- 
guished by  a  paler  hue."  The  yellow  which  is  about 
him  is  the  reason  why  many  authors  have  called  the 
Jackal,  the  golden  wolf. 

As  the  species  of  the  wolf  approaches  that  of  the 
dog,  so  the  Jackal  finds  a  place  between  them  both. 
The  Jackal,  or  Adil,  as  Belon  says,  is  a  beast  between 
the  wolf  and  the  dog.  To  the  ferocity  of  the  wolf,  it 
joins,  in  fact,  a  little  of  the  familiarity  of  the  dog.  Its 
voice  is  a  kind  of  a  howl,  mixed  with  barking  and 
groaning ;  it  is  more  noisy  than  the  dog,  and  more 
voracious  than  the  wolf;  it  never  stirs  out  alone,  but 
always  in  packs,  of  twenty,  thirty,  or  forty ;  they  col- 
lect together  every  day,  to  go  in  search  of  their  prey ; 
they  make  themselves  formidable  to  the  most  powerful 
animals,  by  their  number ;  they  attack  every  kind  of 
beasts  or  birds,  almost  in  the  presence  of  the  human 
species  ;  they  abruptly  enter  stables,  sheepfolds,  and 
other  places,  without  any  sign  of  fear  ;  and  when  they 
cannot  meet  with  any  other  thing,  they  will  devour 
boots,  shoes,  harnesses,  &c.  and  what  leather  they  have 
not  time  to  consume,  they  take  away  with  them.  When 
they  cannot  meet  with  any  live  prey,  they  dig  up  the 
dead  carcasses  of  men  and  animals.  The  natives  are 
obliged  to  cover  the  graves  of  the  dead  with  large 
thorns,  and  other  things,  to  prevent  them  from  scratch- 
ing and  digging  up  the  dead  bodies.  The  dead  are 
buried  very  deep  in  the  earth ;  for  it  is  not  a  little 
trouble  that  discourages  them.  Numbers  of  them  work 
together,  and  accompany  their  labour  with  a  doleful 
cry ;  and,  when  they  are  once  accustomed  to  feed  on 
dead  bodies,  they  run  from  country  to  country,  follow 
armies,  and  keep  close  to  the  caravans.  This  animal 
may  be  styled  the  crow  of  quadrupeds  ;  for  they  will 
eat  the  most  putrid  or  infectious  flesh  :  their  appetite 
is  so  constant  and  so  vehement,  that  the  driest  leather 
is  savoury  to  them;  and  skin,  flesh,  fat,  excrement,  or 
the  most  putrefied  animal,  is  alike  to  their  taste. 

THE    ISATIS. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  a  species  of  fox  (canis  corsac), 
IB  very  commonly  seen  in  the  northern  countries,  jjnd. 


ilTE    ISATIS — THE    GLUTTON.  229 

but  r irely  fi»ind  on  this  side  sixty-nine  degrees  latitude ; 
it  is  nearly  two  feet  in  length ;  it  perfectly  resembles 
the  fox,  in  the  form  of  its  body,  and  the  length  of  the 
tail ;  but  its  head  is  like  that  of  a  dog  ;  its  hair  is  softer 
than  that  of  the  common  fox ;  its  head  is  short  in  pro- 
portion to  its  body;  it  is  broad  towards  tl.  ••  neck,  and 
terminates  in  a  sharp-pointed  snout.  Its  ears  are  almost 
round.  There  are  five  toes  and  five  claws  to  the  fore 
feet,  and  only  four  toes  and  four  claws  to  the  hinder 
ones.  The  hair  on  every  part  of  the  body  is  about  the 
length  of  two  inches,  smooth  and  soft  as  wool.  The 
tail  is  black  at  the  end,  and  so  long  that  it  touches  the 
ground. 

The  voice  of  the  Isatis  partakes  of  the  barking  of 
the  dog  and  the  yelping  of  the  fox.  Those  who  deal 
in  furs  distinguish  two  animals  of  this  kind,  the  one 
white,  and  the  other  ash-coloured  :  the  last  are  the 
most  valuable. 

The  Isatis  lives  upon  rats,  hares,  and  birds,  which  it 
catches  with  as  much  subtlety  as  the  fox.  It  plunges 
in  the  water,  and  traverses  the  lakes,  in  search  of 
water-fowls  and  their  eggs.  The  only  enemy  it  has  in 
the  desert  and  cold  countries,  which  it  inhabits,  is  the 
glutton. 

THE  GLUTTON. 

EXCLUSIVE  of  the  tail,  which  measures  about  a  foot, 
the  length  of  the  Glutton  is  three  feet.  The  top  of  the 
head,  the  whole  of  the  back,  the  muzzle,  and  the  feet, 
are  of  a  blackish  brown  colour.  The  tail  is  of  the 
colour  of  the  body,  and  the  sides  are  dusky.  The  body 
is  thick,  and  its  legs  short.  It  is  nearly  of  the  size  of 
a  ram,  but  as  thick  again ;  its  head  is  short,  its  eyes 
small,  its  teeth  very  strong ;  its  fur  is  exceedingly 
beautiful,  and  much  valued.  It  is  common  in  Lapland, 
and  all  the  neighbouring  countries  of  the  Northern 
Sea,  as  well  in  Europe  and  America  as  in  Asia.  It  is 
called  Carcajou  in  Canada,  and  the  northernmost  parts 
of  America. 

The  legs  of  the  Glutton  are  not  formed  for  running 

its  pace  is  very  slow ;  but  its  cunning  supplies  this 

deficiency  ;  it  waits  the  arrival  of  its  prey  in  ambush  ; 

and,  in  order  to  se  z»   it  with  greater  security,  it  climbs 

VOL.  II.— 20 


230  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

up  a  tree,  carrying  with  it  a  quantity  of  a  kind  of  most 
to  which  the  deer  are  partial.  This  it  throws  down  to 
the  deer,  and  if  one  of  them  stops,  the  Glutton  darts 
down,  and  fastens  itself  so  strongly  with  its  claws  and 
teeth,  that  all  the  efforts  of  the  animal  cannot  remove 
it.  The  poor  animal  in  vain  flies  with  its  utmost 
speed  ;  in  vain  it  rubs  itself  against  trees  and  other 
objects  ;  all  is  useless  :  fastened  on  its  back  or  loins, 
the  Glutton  still  persists  in  tormenting  it,  by  digging 
into  its  flesh  and  sucking  its  blood,  till  the  animal, 
fainting  with  loss  of  blood,  falls;  then  the  Glutton 
devours  it  by  piecemeal,  with  the  utmost  avidity  and 
obstinate  cruelty.  It  is  inconceivable,  what  a  length 
of  time  together  the  Glutton  will  eat,  and  what  a  quan- 
tity of  flesh  it  will  devour  at  one  single  meal." 

From  this  quality,  the  Glutton  has  obtained  the  name 
of  the  Quadruped  Vulture.  It  is  more  insatiable,  and 
commits  greater  depredations  than  the  wolf;  it  would 
destroy  every  animal,  if  it  had  sufficient  agility ;  but 
the  only  animal  it  is  capable  of  taking  on  foot  is  the 
beaver,  which  it  easily  destroys  :  it  even  often  attacks 
that  animal  in  its  hole,  and  devours  both  it  and  its 
young,  if  they  do  not  get  to  the  water  in  time ;  for 
then  the  beaver  escapes  its  enemy  by  swimming,  and 
the  Glutton  stops  its  pursuit  to  feed  upon  the  fish. 
When  it  is  deprived  of  any  living  food,  it  goes  in  search 
of  carcasses,  scratches  open  graves,  and  devours  the 
flesh  of  dead  bodies  to  the  very  bone. 

Although  this  animal  is  subtle,  and  uses  every  art  to 
conquer  other  animals,  it  seems  to  have  not  the  least 
instinct  for  its  own  preservation.  It  suffers  the  human 
species  to  approach  it  without  the  least  appearance  o» 
fear.  This  indifference,  which  seems  to  show  its  imbe- 
cility, is  occasioned,  perhaps,  by  a  different  cause;  it 
is  certain  that  the  Glutton  is  not  a  stupid  animal,  since 
it  readily  finds  means  to  satisfy  its  perpetual  and 
almost  immediate  appetite ;  it  does  not  want  for  cou- 
rage, since  it  attacks  every  animal  indifferently  that 
comes  in  its  way,  and  does  not  fly  at  the  sight  of  man, 
nor  even  show  the  least  mark  of  spontaneous  fear. 
When  attacked,  it  resists  stoutly,  and  is  able  to  break 
a  trap  in  pieces,  or  tear  the  stock  from  a  gun.  If, 
therefore,  it  is  deficient  in  a  proper  care  for  its  own 
safety,  it  does  not  arise  from  an  indifference  for  it 


THE  QLUTTON THE   PO1  ECAT3.  231 

preservation,  but  only  from  its  habit  of  security,  as  it 
is  a  native  of  almost  every  desert  country,  where  it 
seldom  meets  with  any  of  the  human  species. 

As  the  isatis  is  not  so  strong,  but  much  swifter  than 
the  Glutton,  it  serves  as  a  purveyor  to  the  latter,  which 
follows  it  in  its  pursuit  of  animals,  and  often  deprives 
it  of  it?  prey  before  it  has  devoured  it,  or,  at  least, 
partakes  of  it;  for,  the  moment  the  Glutton  approaches, 
the  isatis,  to  avoid  destruction  itself,  leaves  what  re- 
mains, for  the  Glutton  to  feed  on.  Both  these  animals 
burrow  in  the  ground ;  but  in  every  other  habit  they 
are  different.  The  isatis  often  goes  in  flocks,  while 
the  Glutton  moves  alone,  or  sometimes  with  its  female  : 
they  are  often  found  together  in  their  burrows.  The 
fiercest  dogs  are  fearful  of  attacking  the  Glutton, 
which  defends  itself  with  its  teeth  and  feet,  and  often 
mortally  wounds  them. 

The  flesh  of  the  Glutton,  like  that  of  every  other 
voracious  animal,  is  very  bad  food.  It  is  only  hunted 
after  for  its  skin,  which  makes  an  exceedingly  good 
and  beautiful  fur,  not  inferior  to  the  sable  and  black 
fox.  It  is  also  said  that,  when  properly  chosen  and 
well  dressed,  it  has  a  more  excellent  gloss  than  any 
other  skin,  and  even  has  the  beauty  of  a  rich  damask. 
The  Kamtschadales  esteem  it  so  highly,  that  they  say 
the  heavenly  beings  wear  garments  of  no  other  fur. 
The  women  ornament  their  hair  with  its  white  paws. 

THE    STINKING   POLECATS 

ARE  found  in  every  part  of  South  America.  They 
may  be  divided  into  four  species  ;  the  Squash,  the 
Conepate,  the  SJcink,  and  the  ZoriUe. 

The  first  of  these  animals  is  about  sixteen  inches 
long:  its  legs  are  short,  its  snout  pointed,  its  ears 
small,  its  hair  of  a  deep  brown,  and  its  claws  black  and 
sharp.  It  chiefly  dwells  in  the  hollow  and  clefts  ol 
rocks,  where  it  brings  forth  its  young.  It  preys  upon 
small  animals,  birds,  <fcc. ;  and  when  it  can  steal  into 
a  farm  yard,  it  kills  the  poultry,  but  eats  only  their 
brains.  When  it  is  pursued  or  offended,  it  calls  up  all 
its  diabolical  scents  to  its  defence,  and  sends  forth 
s-uch  a  horrid  stench,  that  it  is  dangerous  for  men  or 
dogs  to  approach  it.  I'a  urine  is  apparently  infected 


232  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

with  this  nauseous  vapour,  which,  however,  we  must 
observe,  does  not  seem  habitual  to  it. 

Among  the  four  kinds  of  Stinkards  we  have  above 
indicated,  the  two  last  belong  to  the  hottest  countries 
of  South  America,  and  may  possibly  be  no  more  than 
two  varieties,  and  not  two  different  species.  The  two 
first  are  varieties  of  New  Spain,  Louisiana,  Carolina, 
and  other  temperate  climates,  and  seem  to  be  two  dis- 
tinct and  different  species  from  the  others  ;  but  particu- 
larly the  Squash,  which  has  a  particular  character,  of 
having  only  four  claws  on  the  fore  feet,  whereas  all 
the  rest  have  five  ;  but,  in  every  other  respect,  these 
animals  have  nearly  the  same  figure,  the  game  instinct, 
the  same  offensive  scent,  and  only  differ,  as  I  may  say, 
by  the  colour  and  length  of  the  hair.  The  Squash,  as 
has  been  observed,  is  of  a  pretty  uniform  brown 
colour,  and  its  tail  is  not  tufted  like  the  rest.  The 
Conepate  has  five  white  stripes  on  a  black  ground, 
running  longitudinally  from  the  head  to  the  tail.  The 
Skink  is  white  on  the  back,  and  black  on  the  side,  but 
quite  black  on  the  head,  excepting  a  white  streak, 
which  runs  from  the  nape  of  the  neck  to  the  forehead. 
Its  tail  is  tufted,  and  clothed  with  very  long  white 
hairs,  mixed  with  some  of  a  black  colour. 

The  Zorille,  which  is  also  called  Mauripita,  is  still 
smaller,  and  has  a  most  beautiful  tail,  furnished  with 
as  great  abundance  of  hair  as  the  Skink,  from  which 
it  differs  by  the  disposition  of  the  spots  on  its  coat, 
the  white  streaks  running  longitudinally  from  the  head 
to  the  middle  of  the  back,  on  a  black  ground  ;  besides 
which,  there  are  other  kinds  of  streaks,  which  pass 
transversely  over  the  loins,  the  crupper,  and  the  inser- 
tion of  the  tail,  one  half  of  which  is  black  and  the 
other  white  ;  whereas  in  the  Skink  they  are  all  of  the 
same  colour. 

Kalm,  speaking  of  this  animal,  says,  "  One  of  them 
came  near  the  farm  where  I  lived.  It  was  in  winter 
time,  and  during  the  night,  and  the  dogs  that  were  upon 
the  watch  pursued  it  for  some  time,  until  it  discharged 
its  urine  against  them.  Although  I  was  in  my  bed  a 
good  way  off,  I  thought  I  should  have  been  suffocated, 
and  the  cows  and  oxen  themselves,  by  their  lowings, 
showed  how  much  they  were  affected  by  the  stench. 
About  the  en1  of  the  same  year,  another  of  those  ani- 


THE   PEKAN   AND  THE   VISON THK   SABLE.         223 

mals  crept  into  our  cellar,  but  did  not  exhale  the  small, 
est  scent,  because  it  was  not  disturbed.  A  foolish 
woman,  however,  Avho  perceived  it  in  the  night  by  the 
shining  of  its  eyes,  killed  it,  and  at  that  moment  its 
stench  began  to  spread.  The  whole  cellar  was  filled 
with  it  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  woman  kept  her  bed 
for  several  days  after,  and  all  the  meat,  bread,  and  other 
provisions,  that  were  k«.^t  there,  were  so  infected, 
that  they  were  obliged  to  be  thrown  out  of  doors." 

All  these  animals  are  nearly  of  the  same  form  and 
size  as  the  European  Polecat ;  they  resemble  it  also  by 
its  natural  habits ;  and  the  physical  results  of  their 
generation  are  the  same. 

THE    PEKAN  AND    THE    VISON. 

THE  fur  merchants  of  Canada,  have  long  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  name  of  Pekan,  without  any  know- 
ledge of  the  animal  to  which  it  belongs.  We  are  also 
ignorant  of  the  origin  of  the  Vison  as  well  as  of  the 
Pekan,  and  it  is  only  said  they  belong  to  two  dif- 
ferent animals  of  North  America,  and  principally  of 
Canada. 

The  Vison  lives  in  burrows,  by  the  water  side.  Its 
feet  are  demi-palmated  ;  its  fur  is  of  a  more  or  less 
deep  brown,  with  a  fawn  coloured  tinge  ;  its  tail  is  of 
a  blackish  brown.  On  the  point  of  the  lower  jaw  is  a 
white  spot. 

The  Pekan  lives  in  the  same  countries,  and  has  the 
same  habits,  as  the  Vison.  The  head,  neck,  shoul- 
ders, and  upper  part  of  the  back,  are  of  a  mixed  gray 
and  brown.  The  nose,  the  loins,  the  tail,  and  the  limbs 
are  of  a  blackish  brown.  There  is  very  often  a  spot 
on  the  throat. 

THE    SABLE. 

ALMOST  every  naturalist  has  spoken  of  this  animal 
without  knowing  any  thing  more  of  it  than  its  skin. 
Mr.  Gmelin  is  the  first  who  has  given  its  figure  and 
description :  he  saw  two  living  ones  at  the  governor 
of  Tobolski's.  "  The  Sable  (says  he)  resembles  the 
martin  in  its  shape  and  habit  of  body,  and  the  weasel 
in  the  number  of  its  teeth  :  it  has  large  whiskers  about 
20* 


234  NATURAL   HISTORY. 

the  mouth,  its  feet  are  broad,  and  armed  with  five  claws, 
like  the  rest  of  its  kind.  These  characters  were  com- 
mon to  these  two  Sables  ;  but  one  of  them  was  a  dark 
brown,  excepting  the  ears  and  the  throat,  where  the  hair 
was  rather  yellow ;  the  otl  er,  which  was  smaller,  was 
more  of  a  yellowish  cast,  its  ears  and  throat  being  also 
much  paler.  These  are  the  colours  they  both  have 
in  winter,  and  which  they  are  seen  to  change  in  the 
spring;  the  former  becoming  of  a  yellow  brown,  the 
other  of  a  pale  yellow."  He  says,  also,  that  at  night 
they  were  extremely  restless  and  active ;  but  that,  in  the 
day,  and  particularly  after  eating,  they  would  sleep  so 
soundly  for  half  an  hour  or  an  hour  at  a  time,  that  not 
even  pricking  them  would  awaken  them.  When  they 
saw  a  cat,  they  rose  on  their  hind  feet,  preparatory  to 
the  combat. 

These  animals  inhabit  the  banks  of  rivers  in  shady 
places,  and  in  the  thickest  woods:  they  leap  with  great 
ease  from  tree  to  tree,  and  are  said  to  be  afraid  of  the 
sun.  which  tarnishes  the  lustre  of  their  robes  in  a  very 
short  time.  They  are  also  improperly  said,  by  some, 
to  hide  themselves,  and  remain  torpid  during  the  win- 
ter, when  it  is  the  chief  time  they  are  hunted,  and  in 
which  only  they  re  in  season,  as  their  skins  are  much 
finer  and  better  a^hat  time  than  in  summer  :  they  live 
on  rats,  fish,  and  wild  fruit:  they  have  the  disagreeable 
odour  of  their  kind,  which  is  strongest  during  the  time 
their  heat  is  on  them  :  they  are  mostly  found  in  Siberia, 
and  but  very  few  in  Russia  ;  and  there  are  still  fewer 
in  Lapland  and  other  countries.  The  blackest  skins 
are  the  most  esteemed.  The  difference  of  this  skin 
from  others  consists  in  the  quality  of  the  fur,  which 
has  no  grain,  and  rubbed  any  way  is  equally  smooth 
and  unresisting ;  whereas,  the  furs  of  other  animals, 
rubbed  against  the  grain,  give  a  sensation  of  rough- 
ness from  their  resistance.  The  skin  of  the  Sable 
is,  accordingly,  more  valuable  than  that  of  any  other 
animal  of  an  equal  size. 

The  hunting  of  the  Sable  falls  to  the  lot  of  con- 
demned criminals,  who  are  sent  from  Russia  into  these 
wild  and  extensive  forests,  which,  for  a  great  part  of 
the  year,  are  covered  with  snow  ;  these  unfortunate 
wretches  remain  there  many  years,  and  are  obliged  to 
furnish  a  certain  number  of  skins  every  year  ;  they 


THE    LEMMING    RAT.  235 

onl)  kill  this  animal  by  a  single  ball,  in  order  to 
damage  it  as  little  as  possible  ;  and  sometimes,  instead 
of  fire-arms,  they  make  use  of  the  cross-bow  and  very 
small  pointed  arrows.  As  the  success  of  this  hunting 
trade  supposes  address  and  great  assiduity,  the  officers 
are  permitted  to  encourage  the  hunters,  by  allowing 
them  to  share  among  themselves  the  surplus  of  those 
skins  which  they  procure  ;  and  this,  in  the  process  of 
a  few  years,  amounts  to  a  very  considerable  sum. 
As,  however,  Siberia  has  become  more  populous,  the 
Sables  have  retired  further  to  the  north  and  east, 
among  the  deserts  and  mountains. 

THE    LEMMING    RAT,   OR    LAPLAND    MARMOT, 

Is  of  the  shape  of  a  mouse,  but  has  a  shorter  tail  : 
its  body  is  about  the  length  of  five  inches,  covered 
with  fine  hair  of  various  colours.  Those  of  Norway 
are  of  the  size  of  a  water  rat ;  but  those  of  Lapland 
are  scarcely  as  large  as  mice.  The  former  are  varie- 
gated with  black  and  tawny  in  the  upper  parts ;  the 
sides  of  the  head  and  the  under  parts  are  white.  The 
legs  are  grayish,  and  the  under  parts  of  the  body  of  a 
dull  white.  In  some  there  are  m^jny  red  hairs  about 
the  mouth  resembling  whiskers,  six  of  which  are  longer 
and  redder  than  the  rest.  The  mouth  is  but  small, 
and  the  upper  lip  is  divided  like  the  squirrel's.  The 
remains  of  the  food  in  the  throat  of  this  animal  incline 
us  to  imagine  it  ruminates.  The  head  is  large,  short, 
and  thick;  the  neck  short;  and  the  body  thick.  The 
eyes  are  small  and  black  ;  the  ears  round,  and  inclining 
towards  the  neck  ;  the  legs  before  are  short,  and  those 
behind  longer,  which  gives  it  a  greater  degree  of 
swiftness  ;  the  feet  are  clothed  with  hair,  and  armed 
with  five  very  sharp  and  crooked  claws  ;  the  middle 
claw  is  very  long,  and  the  fifth  is  like  a  little  finger, 
or  the  spur  of  a  cock,  sometimes  placed  very  high  up 
the  leg.  This  animal,  therefore,  whose  legs  are  very 
short,  runs  quite  swift.  It  generally  inhabits  the  moun- 
tains of  Norway  and  Lapland,  but  descends  in  such 
great  numbers,  in  some  years,  and  in  some  seasons, 
that  the  inhabitants  look  on  their  arrival  as  a  terrible 
scourge,  from  which  there  is  no  possibility  of  deliver- 
ance They  move,  for  the  most  part,  in  a  square* 


236  NATURAL  HISIORY". 

marching  forward  by  night,  and  lying  still  by  day 
Thus,  like  an  animated  torrent,  they  are  often  seen 
more  than  a  mile  broad  covering  the  ground,  and  that 
so  thick,  that  the  hindmost  touches  its  leader.  It  is 
in  vain  that  the  inhabitants  resist,  or  attempt  to  stop 
their  progress ;  they  still  keep  moving  forward  ;  and 
though  thousands  are  destroyed,  myriads  are  seen  to 
succeed  and  make  their  destruction  impracticable :  they 
generally  move  in  lines,  which  are  about  three  feet 
lvom  each  other,  and  exactly  parallel :  their  march  is 
always  directed  from  the  north-west  to  the  south- 
west, and  regularly  conducted  from  the  beginning. 
Wherever  their  motions  are  turned,  nothing  can  stop 
them ;  they  go  directly  forward,  impelled  by  some 
strange  power;  and  from  the  time  they  at  first  set  out, 
they  never  think  of  retreating.  If  a  lake  or  a  river 
happens  to  interrupt  their  progress,  they  all  together 
take  the  water  and  swim  over  it;  a  fire,  a  deep  well, 
or  a  torrent,  does  not  turn  them  out  of  their  straight- 
lined  direction  ;  they  boldly  plunge  into  the  flames,  or 
leap  down  the  well,  and  are  sometimes  seen  climbing 
up  on  the  other  side.  If  they  are  interrupted  by  a  boat 
across  the  river  while  they  are  swimming,  they  never 
attempt  to  swim  round  it,  but  mount  directly  up  its 
sides;  and  the  boatmen,  who  know  how  vain  resistance 
would  be,  calmly  suffer  the  living  torrent  to  pass  over, 
which  it  does  without  farther  damage.  If  they  meet 
with  a  stack  of  hay  or  corn  which  interrupts  their 
passage,  instead  of  going  over  it,  they  gnaw  their  way 
through  ;  if  they  are  stopped  by  a  house  in  their  course, 
if  they  cannot  get  through  it,  they  continue  there  till 
they  die.  It  is  happy,  however,  that  they  eat  nothing 
that  is  prepared  for  human  subsistence ;  they  never 
enter  a  house  to  destroy  the  provisions,  but  are  con- 
tented with  eating  every  root  and  vegetable  that  they 
meet.  If  they  happen  to  pass  through  a  meadow, 
they  destroy  it  in  a  very  short  time,  and  give  it  an 
appearance  of  being  burnt  up  and  strewed  with  ashes. 
If  they  are  interrupted  in  their  course,  and  a  man 
should  imprudently  venture  to  attack  one  of  them,  the 
little  animal  is  no  way  intimidated  by  the  disparity  of 
strength,  but  furiously  flies  up  at  its  opponent,  and 
barking  somewhat  like  a  puppy,  wherever  it  fastens  it 
does  not  easily  quit  its  hold  :  if,  at  last,  the  leader  is 


THE    LEMMING    RAT.  237 

found  out  of  its  line,  which  it  defends  as  long  as  it  can, 
and  be  separated  from  the  rest  of  its  kind,  it  sets  up  a 
plaintive  cry,  diffeient  from  that  of  anger,  and,  as  some 
say,  gives  itself  a  voluntary  death,  by  hanging  itself 
on  the  fork  of  a  tree. 

An  enemy  so  numerous  and  destructive  would  quickly 
render  the  countries  where  they  appear  utterly  unin- 
habitable, did  it  not  fortunately  happen  that  the  same 
rapacity  that  animates  them  to  destroy  the  labours  of 
mankind,  at  last  impels  them  to  destroy  each  other. 
After  committing  incredible  devastation,  they  are  at 
last  seen  to  separate  into  two  armies,  opposed  with 
deadly  hatred  along  the  coasts  of  the  larger  lakes  and 
rivers.  The  Laplanders,  who  observe  them  thus  drawn 
up  to  fight,  instead  of  considering  their  mutual  ani- 
mosity as  a  happy  riddance  of  a  most  dreadful  pest, 
form  ominous  prognostics  from  the  manner  of  their 
engagements:  they  consider  their  combats  as  a  presage 
of  war,  and  expect  an  invasion  from  the  Russians  or 
Swedes,  as  the  side  next  those  kingdoms  happens  to 
conquer.  The  two  divisions,  however,  continue  their 
engagements  and  animosity  until  one  part  overcomes 
the  other:  from  that  time  they  utterly  disappear,  nor 
is  it  well  known  what  becomes  of  either  the  conquerors 
or  the  conquered.  Some  suppose,  that  they  rush  head- 
long into  the  sea  ;  others,  that  they  kill  themselves,  as 
some  are  found  hanging  on  the  forked  branches  of  a 
tree;  and  others,  that  they  are  destroyed  by  the  young 
spring  herbage.  But  the  most  p-obable  opinion  is, 
that  having  devoured  the  vegetable  productions  of  the 
country,  and  having  nothing  more  to  subsist  on,  they 
then  fall  to  devouring  each  other,  and  having  habituated 
themselves  to  that  kind  of  food,  continue  it.  However 
this  be,  they  are  often  found  dead  by  thousands,  and 
their  carcasses  have  been  known  to  infect  the  air  for 
several  miles  round,  so  as  to  produce  very  malignant 
disorders:  they  seem  also  to  infect  the  plants*  they 
have  gnawed,  for  the  cattle  often  die  that  afterwards 
feed  in  the  places  where  they  passed.  The  inhabitants 
have  an  opinion,  as  they  do  not  know  whence  such 
numbers  proceed,  that  they  fall  with  the  rain. 

Five  or  six  young  ones  are  produced  at  each  litter, 
and  the  female  brings  forth  several  times  in  the  course 
of  a  year.  They  sometimes  litter  while  emigrating, 


238  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

and    they   have    been    seen    carrying   some    of  their 
offspring  in  their  mouths,  and  others  on  their  backs. 

As  for  the  rest,  the  male  is  generally  larger  and 
more  beautifully  spotted  than  the  female:  they  go  in 
droves  into  the  water:  but  no  sooner  does  a  storm  cf 
wind  arise,  than  they  are  all  drowned.  The  flesh  cf 
the  Lemmings  is  horrid  food,  and  their  skin,  although 
covered  with  a  very  beautiful  fur,  is  of  too  little  con- 
sistence to  be  serviceable. 

THE    CANADIAN    OTTER, 

WHICH  is  much  larger  than  the  common  Otter 
must  be  a  native  of  the  north  of  Europe,  as  well  as  of 
Canada.  It  appears  to  be  larger  and  blacker  than  the 
common  Otter ;  but  is  rather  a  variety  than  a  distinct 
species. 

THE  SEAL. 

THIS  animal  has  its  head  round*  like  thai  of  the 
human  species  ;  its  snout  is  broad  like  the  otter's  ;  the 
eyes  large  and  elevated ;  little  or  no  external  signs  of 
ears,  only  two  auditory  passages  in  the  sides  of  the 
head ;  it  has  whiskers  about  its  mouth,  and  its  teeth 
somewhat  resemble  those  of  the  wolf;  the  tongue  is 
forked  at  the  point;  the  body,  hands,  and  feet,  covered 
with  a  short  and  bristly  hair;  it  has  no  legs,  but  two 
feet,  or  membranes,  like  ham's,  with  five  toes,  termi- 
nated by  as  many  claws:  these  membranes,  which  have 
the  appearance  of  hands,  are  nly  larger,  and  turned 
backwards,  as  if  designed  to  unite  with  its  very  short 
tail,  which  they  accompany  on  both  sides.  The  body 
is  thickest  where  the  neck  is  joined  to  it,  whence  the 
animal  tapers  down  to  the  tail  like  a  fish.  This  amphi- 
bious creature,  though  of  a  very  different  nature  from 
that  of  our  domestic  animals,  yet  seems  susceptible  of 
a  kind  of  education  :  it  is  fed  by  putting  it  often  in 
water :  it  is  taught  to  salute  persons  with  its  head  and 
its  voice ;  it  is  accustomed  to  obey  the  call  of  its 
keeper,  and  gives  many  other  signs  of  intelligence  and 
docility. 

The  sensations  of  the  Seal  are  a?  perfect,  and  its 
•agacity  as  ready,  as  those  of  any  ether  quadruped: 


THE    SEAL.  239 

both  the  one  and  the  other  are  strongly  marked  by  its 
docility,  its  social  qualities,  its  strong  instinct  for  its 
female,  its  great  attention  towards  its  young,  and  by 
its  voice,  which  is  more  expressive  and  more  modulated 
than  in  other  animals :  its  body  is  likewise  firm  and 
large  :  it  is  also  strong,  and  armed  with  very  sharp 
teeth  and  claws,  and  has  many  particular  and  singular 
advantages  over  any  other  animals  we  can  compare 
with  it ;  it  endures  both  heat  and  cold,  and  feeds  indif- 
ferently on  grass,  flesh,  or  fish  ;  it  can  equally  live  on 
ice,  land,  or  in  the  water.  This  animal  and  the  waJ- 
rus  are  the  only  quadrupeds  which  deserve  the  name 
of  amphibious,  or  which  have  the  foramen  ovale  open, 
consequently  they  are  the  only  animals  of  that  class 
which  can  exist  without  respiration,  and  to  which  the 
watery  element  is  as  agreeable  as  that  of  the  air. 

But  these  advantages,  which  are  very  great,  are 
counterbalanced  by  imperfections  still  greater :  they 
may  be  said  to  be  deprived  of  the  use  of  their  fore  legs, 
or  membranes  ;  they  are  almost  entirely  shut  up  within 
its  body,  while  nothing  appears  but  the  extremity  of 
them,  which  are  furnished  with  five  toes,  scarcely 
.moveable,  being  united  together  by  a  very  strong  mem- 
brane, so  that  they  might  more  properly  be  called  fins 
than  feet,  as  they  are  more  adapted  for  the  purpose  of 
swimming  than  walking,  the  hind  feet,  indeed,  being 
.turned  backwards,  are  entirely  useless  upon  land  ;  so 
that  when  the  animal  is  obliged  to  move,  it  drags  itself 
forward  like  a  reptile,  and  with  an  effort  more  pain- 
ful ;  for  it  cannot  twist  itself  about  like  a  serpent,  but 
lies  like  a  lump  on  the  earth,  and  by  grasping  whatever 
it  finds  in  its  reach,  drags  itself  up  the  steepest  shores, 
rocks,  and  shoals  of  ice:  by  this  method  it  moves  with 
such  a  degree  of  swiftness,  that  a  man  cannot  overtake 
it;  it  makes  its  way  towards  the  sea,  and  often,  though 
wounded,  escapes  the  pursuit  »>f  the  hunter. 

Seals  are  social  animals,  and  generally  found  in  great 
numbers  in  the  places  they  frequent:  their  natural 
climate  is  the  northern,  but  they  are  also  met  in  the 
vemperate  and  even  hot  countries  ;  for  they  are  seen 
on  the  shores  of  almost  all  the  seas  in  the  universe. 
The  species  alone  seems  to  vary,  and,  according  to 
the  difference  of  clima'tes,  changes  its  colour  and  ev»« 
*ts  shape 


240  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

The  females  of  these  animals  bring  forth  in  winter, 
and  rear  their  young  upon  some  sand-bank,  rock,  or 
email  island,  at  some  distance  from  the  continent. 
When  they  suckle  their  young,  they  sit  upon  their 
hinder  legs,  and  they  continue  with  their  dam  for 
twelve  or  fifteen  days;  after  which  she  brings  them 
down  to  the  water,  accustoms  them  to  swim,  and  get 
their  food  by  their  own  industry.  As  each  litter  never 
exceeds  above  three  or  four,  so  the  animal's  cares  are 
not  much  divided,  and  the  education  of  her  little  ones 
is  soon  completed.  The  young  particularly  distinguish 
their  mother's  voice  among  the  numerous  bleatings  of 
the  old  ones,  and  are  perfectly  obedient  to  her  call. 
We  are  unacquainted  with  the  time  of  the  female's 
gestation ;  but,  if  we  judge  from  the  time  of  their 
growth,  the  length  of  their  lives,  and  the  size  of  the 
animals,  it  will  appear  to  be  many  months  :  the  time 
also  that  intervenes,  from  their  birth  till  they  attain 
their  full  growth,  being  many  years,  the  length  of  their 
lives  must  also  be  very  long.  I  am  of  opinion  that 
these  animals  live  upward?  of.  a  hundred  years;  for 
we  know  that  cetaceous  animals  in  general  live  much 
longer  than  quadrupeds ;  and  as  the  Seal  fills  up  the 
chasm  between  the  one  and  the  other,  it  must  partici- 
pate of  the  nature  of  the  first,  and  consequently  live 
much  longer  than  the  latter. 

The  voice  of  the  Seal  may  be  compared  to  the  bark- 
ing of  an  angry  dog.  When  young,  they  have  a  shrill 
note,  somewhat  like  the  mewing  of  a  cat :  those  that 
are  taken  early  from  their  dams  mew  continually,  and 
very  often  die  sooner  than  take  the  food  that  is  offered 
them.  These  animals  in  general  are  of  a  courageous 
nature.  It  is  remarked,  that  instead  of  being  terrified 
at  thunder  and  lightning,  they  are  rather  delighted, 
generally  come  on  shore  in  tempests  and  storms,  and 
even  quit  their  icy  abodes  to  avoid  the  shock  of  the 
tempestuous  waves  :  at  such  times,  they  sport  in  great 
numbers  along  the  shore ;  the  tremendous  conflict 
seems  to  divert  them,  and  the  heavy  rains  that  fall  ap- 
pear to  enliven  them :  they  have  naturally  a  disagree- 
able scent,  and  when  there  are  great  numbers  together, 
it  is  smelt  at  a  great  distance.  It  often  happens,  that 
when  pursued  they  drop  their  excrements,  which  are 
of  a  yellow  colour,  and  of  a  very  abominable  scent 


THE    SEAL.  211 

As  they  have  a  prodigious  quantity  v  blood,  and  arc 
also  greatly  overloaded  with  fat,  they  are  consequently 
of  a  very  dull  and  heavy  nature ;  they  usually  sleep 
soundly,  and  are  fond  of  taking  their  repose  on  flakes 
of  ice,  or  on  the  sides  of  rocks,  at  which  time  the 
hunters  approach  very  near  without  disturbing  them, 
and  this  is  the  usual  method  of  taking  them  :  they  are 
very  seldom  killed  with  fire  arms  ;  for,  as  they  do  not 
immediately  die,  even  if  they  are  shot  in  the  head, 
they  plunge  into  the  sea,  and  are  entirely  lost  to  the 
hunter  ;  the  general  method  therefore  is»  to  surprise 
them  when  asleep,  and  knock  them  on  the  head; 
"  They  are  not  easily  killed,  and  are  a  long  time  dying 
(says  a  modern  traveller),  for  although  they  are  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  their  blood  nearly  exhausted,  and 
nearly  stripped  of  their  skins,  yet  they  still  continue 
alive ;  indeed,  it  is  a  di*sagreeable  sight  to  see  these 
animals  wounded  a-nd  skinned,  wallowing  and  rolling 
about  in  their  blood  in  the  greatest  agonies.  These 
remarks  were  made  on  the  animals  we  killed,  which 
were  about  eight  feet  long,  for,  after  they  were  skin- 
ned, and  even  deprived  of  a  great  part  of  their  fat,  yet 
they  attempted  to  bite  their  butchers,  notwithstanding 
they  had  given  them  many  powerful  blows  over  the 
head  and  nose.  One  of  them  even  seized  a  lance  which 
was  presented  to  it  with  as  much  eagerness  as  if  it  had 
not  been  wounded  ;  after  which  we  pierced  it  through 
the  heart  and  liver,  whence  as  much  blood  flowed  as  is 
contained  in  a  young  ox." 


THE    COMMON    SEAIr. 

THESE  animals  differ  considerable  in  size,  being 
found  from  four  to  nine  feet  long ;  they  also  vary  in 
their  colours ;  some  being  black,  others  white,  some 
spotted,  and  many  yellow.  Their  chief  food  consists 
of  fish,  which  they  are  remarkably  expert  in  pursuing 
and  catching.  In  those  places  where  herring*  are  seen 
in  shoals,  the  Seals  destroy  them  by  thousands  ;  and 
when  these  retire  they  are  obliged  to  hunt  after  fish 
that  are  stronger,  and  more  capable  of  evading  pursuit. 
They  are  taken  for  the  sake  of  their  skins  and  the  oil 
their  fat  yields.  The  Seal  is  capable  of  being  tamed, 
and  is  said  to  be  fond  of  music,  The  Icelander* 
VOL.  II.— 21 


842  5ATVRAL  HISTORY. 

believe  them  to  be  the  offspring  of  Pharaoh  and  hit 
host,  who  were  converted  into  Seals  on  their  being 
overwhelmed  in  the  Red  Sea.  Were  the  race  of  this 
creature  to  cease  to  exist,  the  Greenlander  would  be 
rendered  almost  unable  to  inhabit  his  rigid  clime,  as  it 
is  principally  from  them  that  he  derives  the  necessaries 
of  life.  There  is  scarcely  a  part  of  them  which  is  not 
of  the  highest  utility  to  him. 

THE    URSINE    SEAL, 

THE  males  of  this  species  are,  in  general,  about  eight 
feet  long,  but  the  females  are  much  smaller.  Their 
bodies  are  very  thick,  and  the  colour  of  the  hair  is 
commonly  black,  but  that  of  the  old  ones  is  tip- 
ped with  gray.  The  females  are  of  an  ash-coloured 
hue.  The  nose  projects  like  that  of  a  pug  dog,  and 
the  eyes  are  Jarge  and  prominent.  Their  voice  va- 
ries on  different  occasions  ;  thus,  when  sporting  on 
their  native  rocks,  they  low  like  a  cow  ;  when  engaged 
in  battle  they  growl  hideously  ;  after  a  defeat  or  re- 
ceiving a  wound,  they  mew  like  a  cat ;  and  the  note  of 
triumph  after  a  victory  somewhat  resembles  the  chirp- 
ing of  a  cricket.  These  animals  are  chiefly  found  on 
the  islands  in  the  vicinty  of  Kamts'chatka,  from  June  to 
September ;  after  which  they  remove,  some  to  the 
Asiatic,  and  some  to  the  American  coast.  On  Behrings 
Island  they  are  so  numerous  as  almost  to  cover  the 
whole  shore  ;  but  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  they  only  fre- 
quent that  part  of  it  which  lies  towards  Kamtschatka. 

Ursine  Seals*  live  in  families,  each  male  being  sur- 
rounded by  from  eight  to  fifty  females,  whom  he  watch- 
es with  the  most  vigilant  jealousy,  and  treats  in  the 
most  tyrannical  manner.  They  are  of  an  irritable  dis- 
position, and  have  frequent  battles.  So  tenacious  are 
they  of  life  that  they  will  five  a  fortnight  after  receiv- 
ing wounds  which  would  be  speedily  mortal  to  other 
animals. 

THE    30TT1E-*OSED    SEAL. 

'  THIS  variety  of  the  Seal  is  usually  found  in  tne  sea» 
around  New  Zealand,  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez, 
and  the  Falkland  islands.  The  male  of  this  species 


THE    SEA    LION.  243 

measures  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  length,  and 
differs  from  the  female  in  having  a  large  snout,  which 
projects  five  or  six  inches  beyond  the  extremity  of  the 
upper  jaw,  and  which,  w?'en  irritated,  it  inflates,  so  as 
to  give  to  it  the  appearance  of  an  arched  or  hooked 
nose.  The  quantity  of  blubber  contained  between  the 
skin  and  the  flesh  is  so  great,  it  being  at  least  a  foot  in 
depth  in  the  largest,  that  the  animal,  when  in  motion, 
looks  like  an  immense  skin  filled  with  oil.  This  quantity 
of  fat  probably  contributes  to  render  the  Bottle-nosed 
Seal  of  so  lethargic  a  disposition,  that  it  is  not  easily 
to  be  compelled  to  move,  and,  consequently,  is  easily 
killed.  It  divides  its  time  almost  equally  between  the 
land  and  sea,  and  lives  in  herds,  each  of  which  seems 
to  be  under  the  direction  of  a  large  male,  which  sea- 
men term  the  Bashaw,  from  the  circumstance  of  his 
driving  away  females  from  the  other  males,  and  appro- 
priating them  to  himself.  At  a  distance  from  each 
herd,  some  of  the  males  are  placed  as  sentinels,  and  by 
them  the  alarm  is  loudly  given  in  case  of  danger. 

THE    SEA    LION,   OR    LEONINE    SEAL. 

To  the  species  of  seals,  as  above  described,  we  may 
with  great  propriety,  add  another  animal,  described  in 
Anson's  Voyages  by  the  name  of  the  Sea  Lion.  They 
are  found  in  great  numbers  on  the  coasts  of  the  South 
Sea.  The  Sea  Lion  resembles  our  sea  calf,  which  is 
very  common  in  the  same  latitude  ;  but  they  are  much 
larger  than  any  of  the  former,  being  from  eleven  to 
eighteen  feet  long,  and  from  eight  to  eleven  in  circum- 
ference. It  is  so  fat,  that  when  the  skin  is  taken  off, 
the  blubber  is  about  a  foot  thick  all  round  the  body. 
About  ninety  gallons  of  oil  is  drawn  from  one  of  these 
animals  ;  they  are  at  the  same  time  very  full  of  blood, 
and  when  deeply  wounded  in  many  parts  of  the  body, 
the  blood  spouts  out  with  amazing  power:  the  throat 
of  one  of  these  animals  being  cut,  it  afforded  two  bar- 
rels of  blood,  besides  what  then  remained  in  its  body. 
Its  skin  is  covered  with  a  short  hair  of  a  brownish 
colour,  but  blackish  on  the  tail  and  feet :  their  toes 
are  united  by  a  membrane  which  does  not  reach  to 
their  extremity ;  each  of  the  toes  is  known  by  a  claw. 
The  Sea  Lion  differs  from  the  seal,  not  only  in  its  si/«* 


844  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

ind  bulk,  but  also  in  some  other  characters ;  the  male 
nas  a  kind  of  thick  comb  or  trunk  hanging  from  the 
end  of  the  upper  jaw,  about  five  or  six  inches  long. 
This  character  is  not  seen  in  the  female.  The  strongest 
males  collect  together  a  flock  of  females,  and  hinder 
the  others  from  approaching  them.  These  animals  are 
truly  amphibious ;  they  remain  all  the  summer  in  th« 
sea,  and  go  on  shore  in  winter,  at  which  season  the 
females  bring  forth  their  young,  but  never  above  one 
or  two  at  a  litter,  which  they  suckle,  like  the  seal. 

The  Sea  Lions,  while  they  are  on  shore,  feed  on  the 
grass  by  the  side  of  the  sea  :  they  are  of  a  very  heavy 
and  drowsy  nature,  and  delight  to  sleep  in  the  mire ; 
but  they  are  very  wary,  and  at  those  times  commonly 
fix  some  as  sentinels  near  the  place  where  they  sleep ; 
and  it  is  said,  that  these  sentinels  are  very  careful  to 
awake  them  when  any  danger  is  near.  Their  voices 
are  very  shrill,  and  of  various  tones  ;  sometimes  grunt- 
ing like  hogs,  and  sometimes  neighing  like  horses. 
The  males  often  fight  with  each  other,  when  they 
wound  one  another  desperately  with  their  teeth.  The 
flesh  of  these  animals  is  not  disagreeable  to  eat,  parti- 
cularly the  tongue,  which  is  as  good  as  that  of  the  ox. 
They  are  very  easily  killed,  as  they  cannot  defend 
themselves,  nor  fly  from  their  enemies  :  they  are  so 
exceedingly  heavy,  that  ihey  move  with  great  difficulty, 
and  turn  themselves  about  with  still  greater.  Those 
that  hunt  them  have  only  to  guard  against  their  teeth, 
which  are  very  strong,  and  which  they  make  use  of 
with  powerful  effect  on  those  who  approach  within 
their  reach. 

By  comparing  other  observations  and  accounts,  the 
Sea  Lion  of  South  America  appears  to  be  nearly  the 
•ame  as  that  found  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  same 
continent.  The  great  seal  of  the  Canadian  Sea,  spoken 
of  by  Davis,  by  the  name  of  the  sea  wolf,  and  which 
he  distinguishes  from  the  common  sea  calf,  might  pos- 
sibly be  the  same  as  the  Sea  Lion  we  are  speaking  of. 
Their  young,  says  this  author,  are  larger  and  longer 
than  our  largest  hog. 

THE    WALRUS,  MORSE,   OR    SEA    COW. 

THE  name  of  Sea  Cow,  or  Sea  Horse,  by  which 
the  Walrus  is  most  generally  known,  has  been  very 


THE    WALRUS.  245 

wrongly  applied,  since  the  animal  which  it  denotes 
has  not  the  least  resemblance  to  the  land  animals  of 
that  name :  the  denomination  of  sea  elephant,  which 
others  have  given  it,  is  much  better  imagined,  as  it 
is  founded  on  a  singular  and  very  apparent  character. 
The  Walrus,  like  the  elephant,  has  two  large  ivory 
tusks,  weighing  from  ten  to  thirty  pounds  each,  which 
shoot  from  the  upper  jaw  ;  its  head  also  is  formed,  or 
rather  deformed,  like  that  of  the  elephant,  and  would 
entirely  resemble  it  in  that  part  if  it  had  a  trunk ;  but 
the  Walrus  is  deprived  of  that  instrument,  which  serves 
the  elephant  in  the  place  of  an  arm  and  hand,  and  has 
real  arms  to  make  use  of.  These  members,  like  those 
of  the  seal,  are  shut  up  within  the  skin,  so  that  nothing 
appears  outwardly  but  its  hands  and  feet :  its  body  is 
long  and  tapering,  thickest  towards  the  neck :  the 
whole  body  is  clothed  with  a  short  hair  :  the  toes,  and 
the  hands,  or  feet,  are  covered  with  a  membrane,  and 
terminated  by  short  and  sharp-pointed  claws.  On 
each  side  of  the  mouth  are  large  bristles  in  the  form 
of  whiskers:  its  tongue  is  hollowed,  the  concha  of  the 
ears  are  wanting,  &c. ;  so  that,  excepting  the  two  great 
tusks,  and  the  cutting  teeth,  which  it  is  deficient  in 
above  and  below,  the  Walrus  in  every  other  particular 
perfectly  resembles  the  seal:  it  is  only  much  larger 
and  stronger,  being  commonly  from  twelve  to  sixteen 
feet  in  length,  and  eight  or  nine  in  circumference,  and 
sometimes  reaching  eighteen  feet  in  length,  with  a 
proportionable  girth  ;  whereas  the  largest  seals  are  no 
more  than  seven  or  eight  feet.  The  Walruses  also  are 
generally  seen  to  frequent  the  same  places  as  the  seals 
are  known  to  reside  in,  and  are  almost  always  found 
together.  They  have  the  same  habitudes  in  every 
respect,  excepting  that  there  are  fewer  varieties  of  the 
Morse  than  the  seal ;  they  likewise  are  more  attached 
to  one  particular  climate,  and  are  rarely  found  except 
in  the  northern  seas. 

"  There  was  formerly,"  says  Zordrager,  "  great 
plenty  of  Morses  and  seals  in  the  bays  of  Horisont 
and  Klock,  but  at  present  there  are  very  few.  Both 
these  animals  quit  the  water  in  the  summer,  and  resort 
to  the  neighbouring  plains,  where  there  are  flocks  of 
them  from  eighty  to  two  hundred,  particularly  Morses, 
which  will  remain  there  several  days  together,  tiU 
21* 


S46  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

hunger  obliges  them  to  return  to  the  sea.  This  animal 
externally  resembles  the  seal,  but  it  is  stronger  and 
much  laiger:  like  that,  it  has  five  toes  to  each  paw, 
but  its  claws  are  shorter,  and  its  head  thicker  and 
rounder ;  its  skin  is  thick,  wrinkled,  and  covered  with 
very  short  hair  of  different  colours;  its  upper  jaw  is 
armed  with  two  teeth  about  half  an  ell  or  an  ell  in 
length;  these  tusks,  which  are  hollow  at  the  rooi, 
become  larger  as  the  animal  grows  older.  Some  of 
them  are  found  to  have  but  one,  the  other  being  torn 
out  in  fighting  with  each  other,  or  perhaps  fallen  out 
through  age.  This  ivory  generally  brings  a  greater 
price  than  that  of  the  elephant,  as  it  is  of  a  more  com- 
pact and  harder  substance.  The  mouth  of  this  animal 
is  like  that  of  the  ox,  and  furnished  with  hairs  which 
are  hollow,  pointed,  and  about  the  thickness  of  a  straw. 
Above  the  mouth  are  two  nostrils,  through  which  the 
animal  spouts  the  water  like  a  whale.  There  are  a 
great  number  of  Morses  towards  Spitzbergen,  and  the 
profit  that  is  derived  from  their  teeth  and  fat  fully 
repays  the  trouble,  for  the  oil  is  almost  as  much  valued 
as  that  produced  from  the  whale.  When  the  hunter  is 
near  one  of  these  animals  in  the  water,  or  on  the  ice, 
he  darts  a  very  strong  harpoon  at  it,  which  though 
made  expressly  for  the  purpose,  often  slips  over  its 
hard  and  thick  skin ;  but  if  it  has  penetrated  into  it, 
they  haul  the  animal  towards  the  boat,  and  kill  it  with 
a  sharp  and  strong  lance.  The  Morse  is  generally 
heavier  than  the  ox,  and  as  difficult  to  pursue  as  the 
whale,  the  skin  of  which  is  more  easily  pierced.  For 
this  reason,  they  always  endeavour  to  wound  it  in  the 
most  tender  part,  and  aim  at  its  eyes  :  the  animal, 
obliged  by  this  motion  to  turn -its  head,  exposes  its 
breast  to  the  hunter,  who  immediately  strikes  it  very 
forcibly  in  that  part,  and  draws  the  lance  out  again  as 
quick  a«  possible,  for  fear  it  should  seize  the  lance  with 
its  teeth,  and  wound  those  that  attack  it.  Formerly, 
before  these  animals  were  so  greatly  persecuted,  they 
advanced  so  far  on  shore,  that  when  it  was  high  water, 
they  were  at  a  great  distance  from  the  sea ;  and  at 
low  water,  being  at  a  still  greater,  the  hunters  easily 
approached  them  and  killed  great  numbers.  The 
hunters,  in  order  to  cut  off  their  retreat  to  the  sea,  and 
after  they  had  killed  several,  made  a  kind  of  barriei 


THE    WALRUS.  347 

of  their  dead  bodies,  and  in  this  manner  often  killed 
three  or  four  hundred  in  a  season.  The  prodigious 
quantity  of  bones  spread  over  the  shores,  sufficiently 
proves  how  numerous  these  animals  were  in  former 
times.  When  they  are  wounded,  they  become  ex 
tremely  furious,  often  biting  the  lances  in  pieces  with 
their  teeth,  or  tearing  them  out  of  the  hands  of  their 
enemies  :  and  when  at  last  they  are  strongly  engaged, 
they  put  their  head  between  their  paws,  or  fins,  and  in 
this  manner  roll  into  the  sea.  When  there  is  a  great 
number  together,  they  are  so  bold  as  to  attack  the  boats 
that  pursue  them,  bite  them  with  their  teeth,  and  exert 
all  their  strength  to  overturn  them." 

Captain  Cook  saw  a  herd  of  them  floating  on  an  ice 
island  off  the  northern  coast  of  the  American  conti- 
nent. "  They  lie  (says  he)  in  herds  of  many  hundreds 
upon  the  ice,  huddling  over  one  another  like  swine  ; 
and  roar  or  bray  so  loud,  that  in  the  night,  or  in  foggy 
weather,  they  gave  us  notice  of  the  vicinity  of  the  ice 
before  we  could  see  it.  We  never  found  the  whole 
herd  asleep,  some  being  always  on  the  watch.  These, 
at  the  approach  of  the  boat,  would  wake  those  next 
to  them  ;  and  the  alarm  being  thus  gradually  commu- 
nicated, the  whole  herd  would  be  awaked.  But  they 
were  seldom  in  a  hurry  to  get  away,  till  after  they  had 
been  once  fired  at.  They  then  would  tumble  over  one 
another  into  the  sea,  in  the  utmost  confusion.  And 
if  we  did  not,  on  the  first  discharge,  kill  those  we  fired 
at,  we  generally  lost  them,  though  mortally  wounded. 
Vast  numbers  of  these  animals  would  follow  and  come 
close  up  to  the  boats  ;  but  the  flash  of  a  musket  in  the 
pan,  or  even  the  pointing  of  a  musket  at  them,  would 
send  them  down  in  an  instant.  The  female  Walrus 
will  defend  her  offspring  to  the  very  last,  and  at  the 
expense  of  her  own  life,  whether  in  the  water  or  upon 
the  ice.  Nor  will  the  young  one  quit  the  dam,  though 
she  be  dead  ;  so  that,  if  one  be  killed,  the  other  is  a 
certain  prey." 

We  find  the  Walrus  can  live,  at  least  for  some  time, 
in  a  temperate  climate.  We  do  not  know  how  long  it 
goes  with  young  but  if  we  judge  by  the  time  of  its 
growth  and  size,  we  must  suppose  it  to  be  upwards  of 
nine  months.  It  cannot  continue  in  the  water  for  a 
long  time  together,  and  is  obliged  to  go  on  shore  to 


348  NATURAL    H1.STORV. 

suckle  its  young,  and  for  other  occasions.  When  they 
meet  with  a  steep  shore,  or  pieces  of  ice  to  climb  up, 
they  make  use  of  their  tusks  to  hold  by,  and  their  feet 
to  drag  along  the  heavy  mass  of  their  body.  They  are 
said  to  feed  upon  the  shell  fish  which  are  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  and  to  grub  them  up  with  their  strong  tusks. 
Others  say,  that  they  live  on  the  broad  leaves  of  a  cer- 
tain vegetable  which  grows  in  the  sea,  and  that  they 
eat  neither  flesh  nor  fish  But  I  imagine  all  these  opin- 
ions have  but  a  weak  foundation  ;  and  there  is  reason 
to  think,  that  the  Walrus,  like  the  seal,  lives  on  prey, 
especially  herrings  and  other  fish  ;  for  it  does  not  eat 
at  all  when  upon  land,  and  it  is  chiefly  hunger  which 
obliges  it  to  return  to  the  sea. 

The  fat  of  the  Wairus  furnishes  from  one  to  two 
barrels  of  oil ;  and  the  skin  is  capable  of  being  manu- 
factured into  a  strong  and  elastic  leather. 


THE  MANATI. 

THIS  animal  may  be  indiscriminately  called  the  lat,i 
of  beasts  or  first  of  fishes.  It  cannot  be  called  a  quad- 
ruped ;  nor  can  it  entirely  be  termed  a  fish  :  it  par- 
takes of  the  nature  of  a  fish  by  its  two  feet  or  hands  ; 
but  the  hind  legs,  which  are  almost  wholly  concealed 
in  the  bodies  of  the  seal  and  morse,  are  entirely  want- 
ing in  the  Manati :  instead  of  two  short  feet  and  a 
small  narrow  tail,  which  is  placed  in  a  horizontal  direc- 
tion in  the  morse,  the  Manati  has  only  a  thick  tail, 
spread  out  broad  like  a  fan.  Oviedo  seems  to  be  the 
first  author  who  has  given  any  sort  of  history  or  des- 
cription of  the  Manati ;  he  says,  "it  is  a  veiy  clumsy 
and  misshapen  animal,  the  head  of  which  is  thicker  than 
that  of  an  ox,  the  eyes  small,  and  the  two  feet  or  hands 
are  placed  near  the  head,  for  the  purpose  of  swimming. 
It  has  no  scales,  but  is  covered  with  a  skin,  or  rather 
a  thick  hide,  with  a  few  hairs  or  bristles  :  it  is  a  peace- 
able animal,  and  feeds  upon  the  herbage  by  the  river 
sides,  without  entirely  leaving  the  water,  swimming  on 
the  surface  of  it  to  seek  its  food.  The  hunters  prac- 
tise the  following  method  to  take  the  Manati  ;  they 
row  themselves  in  a  boat  or  raft  as  near  the  animal  as 
possible,  and  dart  a  very  strong  lance  into  it,  to  the 
end  of  which  a  very  long  cord  is  fastened  ;  the  Ma- 


THE   MANATI.  249 

nati  feeling  itself  wounded,  instantly  swirr.s  nway  or 
plunges  to  the  bottom  :  but  the  cord  which  holds  the 
lance  has  a  cork  or  piece  of  wood  fastened  to  the  end 
of  it,  to  serve  as  a  buoy;  when  the  animal  begins  to 
grow  faint  and  weak  through  the  loss  of  blood,  he 
swims  to  shore  ;  the  cord  is  then  wound  up,  and  the 
animal  drawn  within  arm's  length  of  the  boat,  where 
they  despatch  it  in  the  water  by  strokes  of  the  oar  or 
lance.  It  is  so  very  heavy,  as  to  be  a  sufficient  load 
for  two  oxen  to  draw ;  its  flesh  is  excellent  eating, 
which  is  eaten  rather  as  beef  than  as  fish.  Some  of 
these  animals  measure  more  than  fifteen  feet  in  length 
by  six  feet  in  breadth  ;  the  body  becomes  narrower 
towards  the  tail,  and  then  spreads  gradually  broader 
towards  the  end.  As  the  Spaniards,  adds  Oviedo,  give 
the  appellation  of  hands  to  the  feet  of  quadrupeds, 
and  as  this  animal  has  only  fore  feet,  they  have  giv6n 
it  the  name  of  Manati,  i.  e.  an  animal  with  hands. 
The  female  has  breasts  placed  forward  like  those  of  a 
woman,  and  she  generally  brings  forth  two  young  ones 
at  a  time,  which  she  suckles.  The  flesh  and  fat  of 
this  animal  (says  M.  de  Condamine)have  a  great  resem- 
blance to  veal.  It  is  not,  properly  speaking,  amphi- 
bious, since  it  never  entirely  leaves  the  water,  having 
only  two  flat  nns,  close  to  the  head,  about  sixteen 
inches  long,  and  which  serve  the  animal  instead  of  arms 
and  hands.  It  only  raises  its  head  out  of  the  water  to 
feed  on  the  herbage  by  the  seaside.  The  eyes  of  this 
animal  have  no  proportion  to  the  size  of  its  body;  the 
orifice  of  its  ears  is  still  less,  and  only  seems  like  a  hole 
made  by  a  pin.  The  Manati  is  not  peculiar  to  the 
Amazonian  river;  for  it  is  not  less  common  in  the 
Oroonoko  :  it  is  found  also,  though  less  frequently,  in 
the  Oyapoc,  and  many  other  rivers  in  the  environs  ol 
Cayenne,  and  the  coast  of  Guiana,' and  probably  in 
other  parts." 

The  Manati  species,  however,  is  not  confined  to  the 
seas  and  rivers  of  the  New  World,  but  is  found  also  in 
those  of  Africa. 

As  the  description  given  by  Buffon  of  this  animal  is 
too  vague  to  be  satisfactory,  it  maybe  proper  to  enlarge 
somewhat  on  the  different  species. 


U50  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

THE   WHALE-TAILED  MORSE. 

THIS  variety  of  the  Morse  tribe,  which  is  also  called 
the  Manati,  chiefly  inhabits  that  part  of  the  North 
Pacific  which  lies  between  Kamtschatka  and  America. 
It  lives  in  families,  which  unite  and  form  immense 
droves.  All  the  individuals  are  exceedingly  attached 
to  each  other,  particularly  the  males  to  their  females ; 
nothing  can  terrify  or  compel  the  latter  to  abandon  the 
former.  The  Manati  is  sometimes  twenty-eight  feet 
long,  and  weighs  ,as  much  as  eight  thousand  pounds. 
It  has  a  small  head,  double  lips,  and  the  mouth  is  filled 
with  white  tubulous  bristles,  near  the  junction  of  the 
jaws,  which  prevent  the  food  from  escaping  out  of  the 
mouth  with  the  water.  The  blubber  and  the  skin  are 
the  parts  which  render  this  creature  an  object  or  pur- 
suit to  mankind. 

THE  ROUND-TAILED  MANATI. 

THIS  animal  frequents  most  of  the  great  African 
rivers,  from  Senegal  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
also  many  of  the  rivers  on  the  eastern  shore  of  South 
America.  It  is  often  seen  in  the  Amazon  nearly  a 
thousand  leagues  from  its  mouth.  It  prefers  shallow 
waters  near  low  land,  and  is  a  frolicsome  creature, 
frequently  leaping  into  the  air  to  great  heights.  The 
natives  of  America  are  said  frequently  to  tame  it,  and 
we  are  told  that  it  delights  in  music.  The  female, 
when  struck  by  the  harpoon,  seems  insensible  to  her 
own  sufferings,  and  only  anxious  to  protect  her  young 
one,  by  taking  it  under  her  fins  or  feet.  The  Round- 
tailed  Manati  is  about  six  feet  in  length,  and  three  or 
four  in  circumference.  Its  flesh  is  a  white,  well  tasted, 
and  salubrious  food.  When  the  thicker  parts  of  the 
skin  are  cut  into  slices  and  dried,  they  become  exceed- 
ingly tough,  and  form  good  whips.  Of  the  thinner 
parts,  which  have  more  pliability,  the  Indians  make 
thongs  to  fasten  together  the  sides  of  their  canoes. 

THE    SEA-APE  MANATI. 

THIS  animal  was  seen,  by  Mr.  Steller,  off  the  coast 
of  America,  and  was  called  by  him  the  Sea-Ape.  Pen 


MAIMON.       P.  2t>2. 


ORAN  OTAN.       P.  251. 


MONKEYS.  25] 

nun  I  places  it  among  the  Manati  tribe  ;  but,  as  it  has  a 
head  resembling  in  some  measure  that  of  a  dog,  with 
sharp  upright  ears,  Mr.  Bingly  is  disposed  to  class  it 
with  the  seals.  The  name  of  Sea-Ape  was  given  to  it 
in  consequence  of  the  frolicsome  tricks  which  it  played. 
It  swam  round  and  admired  the  ship,  stood  erect  for  a 
considerable  time  with  one-third  of  its  body  out  of  the 
xvater,  darted  backward  and  forward  repeatedly,  under 
the  ship,  and  brought  up  in  its  mouth  a  sea  plant,  like 
the  bottle  g<ourd,  which  it  tossed  up,  caught,  and  played 
innumerable  antics  with. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Of  Monkeys — The  Oran-otang — The  Pigmy — The 
Gibbon,  «r  Long-armed  Ape — The  Magot — The 
Baboon — The  Maimon — The  Mandrill — The  Pig- 
tailed  Baboon — The  Pig-faced  Baboon — The  Bon- 
netted  Monkey — the  Dog-faced  Baboon — The  Ursine 
Baboon — The  Wanderoo  and  the  Loando — The  Ma- 
caque and  Egret — The  Patas — The  Malbrouck — 
The  Mangabey—The  Mona—The  Callitrix—The 
Mustache — The  Talapoin — The  Douc — American 
Monkeys — The  Warine  and  Alouato — The  Coati — 
The  Capuchin  Monkey — The  Sai,  or  Weeper — The. 
Siamira,  or  Orange  Monkey — The  Saki — The  Ta~ 
mar  in — The  Wistiti — The  Marikina — the  Pinch — 
The  Mico. 


THE  Monkey  tribe  is  very  numerous,  and  is  usually 
classed  by  naturalists  in  three  divisions.  Those  which 
have  no  tails  are  termed  Apes,  and  those  which  have 
short  tails  are  denominated  Baboons;  but  by  far  the 
most  numerous  division  consists  of  those  which  have 
long  tails,  and  which  are  known  by  the  general  name 
of  Monkeys. 

THE    ORAN-OTANO,  OR    THE    PONGO    AND    THE    JOCKO. 

ORAN-OTANG  is  the  name  this  animal  bears  in  th« 
Past  Indies  ;  Pongo,  i*.»  denomination  at  Loando, 


,"W  NATURAL    HUfORY. 

province  of  Congo;  and  Kukurlacks  in  some  paits  of 
•  he  East  Indies.  We  shall  present  the  Oran-otang  and 
the  Jocko  together,  because  they  are,  possibly,  but 
one  and  the  same  species.  We  have  seen  the  small 
Oran-otang,  or  the  Jocko,  alive,  and  we  have  pre- 
served its  skin,  but  we  can  only  speak  of  the  Pongo, 
or  great  Oran-otang,  from  the  accounts  travellers 
have  given  us  of  it.  Battel  assures  us,  "  that,  except- 
ing his  size,  the  Pongo  is  exactly  like  that  of  a  man  in 
all  his  proportions :  he  is  as  tall  (he  says)  as  a  giant : 
his  face  is  like  that  of  a  man,  the  eyes  deep  sunk  in 
the  head,  the  hair  on  each  side  extremely  long,  the 
visage  naked  and  without  hair,  as  are  also  the  ears  and 
the  hands  ;  the  body  is  lightly  covered  and  scarcely 
differing  from  that  of  a  man,  except  that  there  are  no 
calves  to  the  legs.  Still,  however,  the  animal  is  seen 
to  walk  on  his  hinder  legs  :  he  sleeps  under  trees,  and 
builds  himself  a  hut,  whic.i  serves  to  protect  him 
against  the  sun,  and  the  rains  of  the  tropical  climates, 
of  which  he  is  a  native  ;  he  lives  only  upon  fruits,  and 
is  not  carnivorous  :  he  cannot  speak,  although  furnish- 
ed with  greater  instinct  than  any  other  animal  of  the 
brute  creation.  When  the  Negroes  make  a  fire  in  the 
woods,  this  animal  comes  near  and  warms  himself  by 
the  blaze  :  he  has  not,  however,  skill  enough  to  keep 
the  flame  alive  by  feeding  it  with  fuel.  They  go  to- 
gether in  companies,  and  if  they  happen  to  meet  with 
one  of  the  human  species,  remote  from  succour,  they 
show  him  no  mercy.  They  even  attack  the  elephant, 
which  they  beat  with  their  clubs,  and  oblige  to  leave 
that  part  of  the  forest  which  they  claim  as  their  own. 
It  is  impossible  to  take  any  of  these  creatures  alive, 
they  are  so  strong.  None  of  this  kind,  therefore,  are 
taken,  except  when  very  young,  and  then  but  rarely, 
when  the  female  happens  to  leave  them  behind  ;  for, 
in  general,  they  cling  to  the  breast,  and  adhere  both 
with  legs  and  arms.  There  are  two  kinds  of  this 
animal,  both  very  much  resembling  the  human  race, 
the  Pongo,  which  is  taller  and  thicker  than  a  man  ; 
and  the  Jocko,  whose  size  is  much  smaller,"  <k-c. 
"  The  Apes  of  Guinea  (says  Bosman),  which  are  call- 
ed Smitten  by  the  Flemings,  are  of  a  brown  colour,  and 
grow  to  a  very  large  size.  I  have  seen  some  above 
fire  feet  tall  :  these  Apes  arc  of  a  very  disagreeable 


M -»N  KEYS.  253 

appearance,  as  well  as  those  of  another  kind,  which 
resemble  them  in  every  particular,  excepting  in  size, 
which  is  a  fourth  part  less  than  that  of  the  former  : 
they  are  very  easily  taught  to  do  almost  whateVei 
their  masters  please."  Schouten  says,  "That  the  ani- 
mals which  the  Indians  call  Oran-otangs,  are  almost  all 
of  the  same  height  and  shape  as  mankind,  but  that 
their  back  and  loins  arc  covered  with  hair,  of  which, 
however,  there  is  a  deficiency  in  the  fore  part  of  the 
body  ;  that  the  females  have  two  breasts  ;  that  the  face 
is  rough,  the  nose  flat,  and  the  ears  like  those  of  a 
man  ;  that  they  are  robust,  active,  bold,  and  defend 
themselves  even  against  armed  men;  that  they  are 
passionately  fond  of  women,  and  that  there  is  no  safety 
for  them  in  passing  through  the  woods  they  inhabit,  a's 
these  animals  immediately  attack  and  injure  them.'* 
To  these  testimonies  we  may  add  that  of  M.  de  la 
Bresse,  mentioned  in  his  Voyage  to  Angola.  This 
traveller  assures  us,  "  that  the  Oran-otangs,  which  he 
calls  Quimpeazes,  often  attempt^  to  surprise  the  female 
negroes,  which  they  keep  with 'them  for  the  pleasure 
of  their  company,  feeding  them  very  plentifully  all  the 
time.  I  knew  (says  he)  a  woman  of  Loando  that  had 
Jived  among  these  animals  for  three  years.  They  grow 
from  six  to  seven  feet  high,  and  are  of  unequalled 
strength.  They  build  sheds,  and  make  use  of  clubs 
for  their  defence :  their  faces  are  broad,  their  noses 
flat,  their  ears  without  a  tip,  their  skins  are  fairer  than 
that  of  a  Mulatto,  but  they  are  covered  on  many  parts 
of  their  body  with  long  and  tawny  coloured  hair  :  their 
belly  is  extremely  large,  their  heels  flat,  and  yet  rising 
oehind  about  half  an  inch  :  they  sometimes  walk  up- 
right, and  sometimes  upon  all  fours  when  they  are  fan- 
tastically disposed.  We  purchased  two  of  these  ani- 
mals, one  about  fourteen  months  old,  which  was  a 
male,  and  a  female  about  twelve  months." 

The  Oran-otang  which  I  saw,  walked  always  upright, 
even  when  it  carried  heavy  burdens.  Its  air  was 
melancholy,  its  deportment  grave,  its  nature  more 
gentle  and  very  different  from  that  of  other  apes. 
Unlike  the  baboon,  or  the  monkey,  whose  motions 
are  violent,  and  appetites  capricious,  who  are  fond  of 
mischief,  and  only  obedient  through  fear,  a  look  was 
sufficient  to  keep  it  in  awe.  I  have  seen  it  give  its 
VOL.  II.— 22 


254  NATURAL    HUTORY. 

hand  to  sLow  the  company  to  the  door,  that  came  to 
see  it,  and  it  would  walk  about  gravely  with  them,  as 
if  one  of  the  society.  I  have  seen  it  sit  at  table,  unfold 
its  napkin,  wipe  its  lips,  make  use  of  the  spoon  and  the 
fork  to  carry  the  victuals  to  its  mouth,  pour  out  its 
drink  into  a  glass,  touch  glasses  when  invited,  take  a 
cup  and  saucer  and  lay  them  on  the  table,  put  in  sugar, 
pour  out  its  tea,  leave  it  to  cool  before  drinking,  and 
all  this  without  any  other  instigation  than  the  signs  or 
the  command  of  its  master,  and  often  of  its  own  accord. 
It  was  gentle  and  inoffensive  :  it  even  approached 
strangers  with  respect,  and  came  rather  to  receive 
caresses  than  to  offer  injuries :  it  ate  almost  of  every 
thing  that  was  offered  to  it,  but  it  preferred  dry  and 
ripe  fruits  to  all  other  aliments.  It  would  drink  wine, 
bu  in  small  quantities,  and  willingly  left  it  for  milk, 
y  other  sweet  liquor.  Mr.  L.  Brosse,  who  bought 
two  young  ones  that  were  but  a  year  old,  from  a  negro, 
relates  that,  "  even  at  that  age,  they  sat  at  table,  ate 
of  every  thing  without  distinction,  made  use  of  their 
knife,  spoon,  and  fork,  both  to  eat  their  meat  and  help 
themselves ;  they  drank  wine  and  other  liquors.  We 
carried  them  on  shipboard,  and  when  they  were  at 
table,  they  made  signs  to  the  cabin-boys  expressive  of 
their  wants ;  and  whenever  they  neglected  attending 
upon  them  as  they  desired,  they  instantly  flew  into  a 
passion,  seized  them  by  the  arm,  bit  them,  and  kept 
them  down.  The  male  was  seasick,  and  required 
attendance  like  a  human  creature :  he  was  even  twice 
bled  in  the  right  arm  ;  and  every  time  afterwards  when 
he  found  himself  indisposed,  he-  showed  his  arm,  as 
desirous  of  being  relieved  by  bleeding."  , !  ; 

Henry  Grose  relates,  "  that  these  animals  are  met 
with  to  the  north  of  Coromandel ;  that  Mr.  Home, 
governor  of  Bombay,  had  two  of  them  sent  him,  a 
male  and  a  female  ;  they  were  scarcely  two  feet  high, 
but  their  form  was  entirely  like  the  human  :  they 
walked  erect  upon  their  two  feet,  and  were  of  a  pale 
colour,  without  any  hairs  on  any  other  part  than  where 
mankind  generally  have  them ;  their  actions  perfectly 
resembled  the  human,  and  their  melancholy  plainly 
evinced  how  strongly  they  felt  the  weight  of  their 
captivity :  they  made  their  bed  very  carefully  in  the 
cage  in  whic  •.  they  were  sent  on  board  the  ihip 


MONKEYS.  25b 

When  any  person  looked  at  them,  they  hit!  those  part* 
with  their  hands,  which  modesty  forbids  the  sight  of. 
The  female  (adds  he)  died  on  board,  and  the  male 
showed  all  real  signs  of  grief,  and  took  the  death  of 
his  companion  so  greatly  to  heart,  that  he  refused  his 
food,  and  did  not  survive  her  more  than  two  days." 

Francis  Pyrard  relates,  "  that  in  the  province  of 
Sierra  Leona,  in  Africa,  there  are  a  kind  of  apes  called 
Barris,  which  are  strong  and  muscular,  and  so  very 
industrious,  that,  if  properly  fed  and  instructed  when 
young,  they  serve  as  very  useful  domestics :  they 
usually  walk  upright,  will  pound  at  the  mortar,  fetch 
water  from  the  river  in  a  little  pitcher,  which  they 
carry  on  their  heads ;  but,  if  care  be  not  taken  to 
receive  the  pitcher  at  their  return,  they  let  it  fall  to 
the  ground,  and  then,  seeing  it  broken,  they  begin  to 
lament  and  cry  for  the  loss." 

The  Jocko  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Chimpanzee. 
It  is  the  Simia  Troglodytes  of  Linnaeus.  From  the 
Oran  it  differs  only  in  colour  and  stature;  the  former 
being  dark  brown  or  blackish,  and  the  latter  not 
exceeding  two  feet  and  a  half  or  three  feet.  It  is  a 
native  of  Angola,  Sierra  Leone,  and  some  parts  of  Asia. 

Mr.  M'Leod  gives  the  following  description  of  an 
Oran-otang  which  was  brought  to  England,  from  Bor- 
neo, in  1816,  on  board  the  Alceste,  when  the  embass 
was  returning  from  its  fruitless  mission  to  China : — 
"  The  Oran-otang,  also  a  native  of  Borneo  (says  he), 
is  an  animal  remarkable  not  only  from  being  extremely 
rare,  but  as  possessing,  in  many  respects,  a  strong  re- 
semblance to  man.  What  is  technically  denominated 
the  cranium  is  perfectly  human  in  its  appearance  ;  the 
shape  of  the  upper  part  of  the  head,  the  forehead,  the 
eyes  (which  are  dark  and  full),  the  eyelashes,  and, 
indeed,  every  thing  relating  to  the  eyes  and  ears, 
differing  in  no  respect  from  man.  The  hair  of  his 
head,  however,  is  merely  the  same  which  covers  his 
body  generally  The  nose  is  very  flat,  the  distance 
between  it  and  the  mouth  considerable  ;  the  chin,  and, 
in  feet,  the  whole  of  the  lower  jaw,  is  very  large,  and 
his  teeth,  twenty-six  in  number,  are  strong.  The 
lower  part  of  his  face  is  what  may  be  termed  an  ugly 
or  caricature  likeness  of  the  human  countenance.  The 
position  of  the  scapulae,  or  shoulderblades,  the  general 


256  NATURAl   HISTORY. 

form  of  the  shoulders  and  breasts,  as  well  as  the  figure 
of  the  arms,  the  elbow  joint  especially,  and  the  hands, 
strongly  continue  the  resemblance.  The  metacarpal, 
or  that  part  of  the  hand  immediately  above  the  fingers, 
is  somewhat  elongated ;  and,  by  the  thumb  being 
thrown  a  little  higher  up,  nature  seems  to  have  adapted 
the  hand  to  his  mode  of  life,  and  given  him  the  power 
of  grasping  more  effectually  the  branches  of  trees. 

"  He  is  corpulent  about  the  abdomen,  or,  in  common 
phrase,  rather  pot-bellied,  looking  like  one  of  those 
figures  of  Bacchus  often  seen  riding  on  casks:  but  whe- 
ther this  is  his  natural  appearance  when  wild,  or  acquired 
since  his  introduction  into  new  society,  and  by  indulging 
in  a  high  style  of  living,  it  is  difficult  to  determine. 

"  His  thighs  and  legs  are  short  and  bandy,  the  ankle 
and  heel  like  the  human  ;  but  the  fore  part  of  the  foot 
is  composed  of  toes,  as  long  and  as  pliable  as  his 
fingers,  with  a  thumb  a  little  situated  before  the  inner 
ankle  ;  this  conformation  enabling  him  to  hold  equally 
fast  with  his  feet  as  with  his  hands.  When  he  stands 
erect,  he  is  about  three  feet  high,  and  he  can  walk 
when  led  like  a  child,  but  his  natural  locomotion,  when 
on  a  plain  surface,  is  supporting  himself  along,  at  every 
step,  by  placing  the  knuckles  of  his  hands  upon  the 
ground.  AlLthe  fingers,  both  of  the  hands  and  feet, 
have  nails  exactly  like  the  human  race,  except  the 
thumb  of  the  foot,  which  is  without  any. 

"  His  natural  food  would  appear  to  be  all  kinds  of 
fruits  and  nuts,  but  he  eats  biscuit,  or  any  other  sort 
of  bread,  and  sometimes  animal  food.  He  will  drink 
grog,  or  even  spirits,  if  given  to  him  ;  and  has  been 
known  repeatedly  to  help  himself  in  this  way:  he  was 
also  taught  to  sip  his  tea  or  coffee,  and,  since  his  arri- 
val in  England,  has  discovered  a  taste  for  a  pot  of 
porter.  His  usual  conduct  is  not  mischievous  and 
chattering,  like  that  of  monkeys  in  general :  but  he 
has  rather  a  grave  and  sedate  character,  and  is  much 
inclined  to  be  social,  and  on  good  terms  with  every 
oody.  He  made  no  difficulty,  however,  when  cold,  or 
inclined  to  sleep,  in  supplying  himself  with  any  jacket 
he  found  hanging  about,  or  in  stealing  a  pillow  from  a 
hammock  in  order  to  be  more  soft  and  comfortable. 

"  Sometimes,  when  teasgd  by  showing  him  some- 
thing tc  eat,  he  would  display  in  a  very  strong  mannei 


MONKEYS.  25? 

the  human  passions,  following  the  person  whining  and 
crying,  throwing  himself  off  on  his  back,  and  rolling 
about  apparently  in  a  great  rage,  attempting  to  bite 
those,  near  him,  and  frequently  lowering  himself  by  a 
•ope  over  the  ship's  side,  as  if  pretending  to  drown 
himself;  but,  when  he  came  near  the  water's  edge, 
he  aways  reconsidered  the  matter,  and  came  on  board 
again.  He  would  often  rifle  and  examine  the  pockets 
of  his  friends  in  quest  of  nuts  and  biscuits,  which  they 
sometimes  carried  for  him.  He  had  a  great  antipathy 
to  the  smaller  tribe  of  monkeys,  and  would  throw  them 
overboard  if  he  could  ;  but  in  his  general  habits  and 
disposition  there  is  much  docility  and  good  nature, 
and  when  not  annoyed  he  is  extremely  inoffensive. 
He  approaches,  upon  the  whole,  nearer  to  the  human 
kind  than  any  other  animal." 

An  enormous  Oran-otang,  of  the  height  of  seven  feet, 
and  of  a  proportionate  bulk,  was,  after  many  attempts, 
killed  under  a  tree,  from  which  it  had  fallen,  in  con- 
sequence of  several  bullet  wounds,  at  Ramboon,  on  the 
western  coast  of  Sumatra  ;  having,  as  is  supposed, 
wandered  from  the  large  and  almost  impenetrable 
forest,  situated  about  two  days'  journey  inland.  The 
skin  of  this  extraordinary  creature  is  preserved  in  the 
museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Calcutta  ;  it  is  of  a 
dark  leaden  colour,  covered,  unequally,  with  brownish 
red,  shaggy  and  glossy  hair,  which  is  long  on  the  flanks 
and  shoulders.  The  head  was  well  proportioned  to 
the  body,  the  nose  prominent,  the  eyes  large,  and  the 
mouth  rather  larger  in  proportion  than  that  of  man  ; 
the  chin  was  fringed  with  a  curling  beard,  reaching 
from  ear  to  ear,  and  the  visage  by  no  means  disgusting. 
His  chest  was  wide  and  expanding,  and  waist  rather 
slender  :  his  legs  rather  short,  as  compared  with  his 
arms  ;  the  feet  and  hands  had  very  nearly  the  human 
form,  except  that  the  thumbs  were  smaller,  and  situ- 
ated higher  towards  the  wrists,  than  in  man.  His  walk 
was  erect,  but  waddling,  and  not  quick,  unless  when 
his  hands  were  used  to  assist,  or  a  branch  of  a  tree,  to 
push  himself  along,  his  chief  agility  being  shown  in 
climbing  trees,  and  springing  from  branch  to  branch, 
when  pursued.  The  perfect  state  of  his  teeth  showed 
that  he  was  young,  and  in  full  vigour.  He  was  with 
out  any  vestiges  of  a  tail. 

22* 


858  NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE   PITHECOS,   O.I  PIGMY 

BY  the  testimonies  of  the  ancients,  the  Pithecos 
seems  to  be  the  most  gentle  and  docile  of  all  the  Mon- 
key kinJ  that  was  known  to  them:  it  was  common  in 
Asia,  as  well  as  in  Libya,  and  in  the  other  provinces 
of  Africa,  frequented  by  the  Greek  and  Roman  travel- 
lers. And  this  has  made  me  presume,  that  we  must 
refer  the  animals  mentioned  by  Leo  the  African,  and 
Marmol,  to  this  kind.  "  These  animals  (says  Marmol) 
have  feet  and  hands,  and,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  ex- 
pression, a  human  face,  with  an  appearance  of  much 
vivacity  and  malice  :  they  live  upon  corn,  herbage,  and 
all  sorts  of  fruits  ;  to  obtain  which  they  sally  forth  in 
large  bodies,  and  plunder  the  gardens  or  villages. 
Before  they  venture  out  on  this  expedition,  one  of  the 
company  ascends  an  eminence,  and  surveys  the  coun- 
try round.  If  there  is  no  appearance  of  any  person 
near,  he  makes  signs  to  his  companions  to  enter  the 
vineyard  or  orchards,  and  begin  their  plunder:  but  aa 
soon  as  the  sentinel  perceives  any  one  coming,  he 
instantly  sets  up  a  loud  cry,  and  the  whole  company 
scamper  off  with  the  utmgst  precipitation,  and,  jumping 
from  tree  to  tree,  retreat  to  the  mountains.  It  is  a 
great  curiosity  to  see  those  animals  retreat;  for  the 
females  carry  four  or  five  young  ones  upon  their  backs, 
and  with  this  heavy  load  leap  with  great  agility  from 
branch  to  branch,  though  great  numbers  of  them  are 
taken,  notwithstanding  all  their  cunning.  When  they 
are  angry,  they  bite  ;  but  while  they  are  coaxed,  they 
are  very  tame.  Those  that  are  tamed  perform  things 
almost  incredible,  and  imitate  mankind  in  almost  every 
action  they  see  them  do."  The  pithecos  has  no  tail ; 
its  canine  teeth  are  not  proportionably  longer  than 
those  of  mankind ;  its  face  is  flat,  as  are  likewise  its 
nails,  which  are  rounded  at  the  top,  like  those  of  a  man  ; 
it  walks  erect,  is  about  a  cubit  high,  and  of  a  gentle 
and  tractable  disposition.  It  is  however,  a  dirty  spe- 
cies, and  leaves  an  unpleasant  smell  wherever  it  goes. 
Besides  which,  it  has  a  mischievous  propensity  to 
break  and  destroy  whatever  comes  in  its  way. 

The  Pigmy  Apes  are  fattened  for  food  by  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  country  where  they  are  found.  The 


THE    LONG-ARMED    APE—  THE    MAGOT.  2&U 

mode  of  catching  them  is  curious.  The  Apes  sleep  in 
caverns  in  the  woods.  Near  these  haunts  the  natives 
place  vessels  containing  strong  liquors.  The  animals 
assemble  to  enjoy  the  unexpected  repast;  they  drain 
the  vessels,  and  the  consequence  is,  that  they  become 
intoxicated,  fall  asleep,  and  are  then  easily  taken. 

THE  GIBBON,   OR  LONG-ARMED  APE. 

ALWAYS  keeps  its  erect  posture,  even  when  it  walks 
upon  all  fours,  its  arms  being  as  long  as  its  body  and 
legs  put  together.  We  have  seen  one  of  these  animals 
alive ;  it  was  but  young,  and  not  then  more  than  three 
feet  high ;  though  we  must  presume  that  it  had  not 
attained  its  full  size,  but  that  when  it  is  adult,  and  in 
its  free  state,  it  is  at  least  four  feet.  It  had  no  appear- 
ance of  any  tail  ;  it  had  a  circle  of  gray,  bushy  hair 
all  round  the  face,  which  gave  it  a  very  remarkable 
appearance  :  its  eyes  were  large  and  sunk  in  its  head, 
its  face  resembling  that  of  a  man,  tanned,  and  its  ears 
well  proportioned.  This  Ape  appeared  to  us  to  be  of 
a  gentle  and  tractable  disposition ;  its  motions  were 
neither  rash  nor  precipitate.  It  was  fed  on  bread, 
fruit,  almonds,  <fcc.,  and  calmly  received  the  food  that 
was  presented  to  it ;  it  was  very  averse  to  cold  and 
wet  weather,  and  did  not  live  long  after  being  brought 
from  its  native  country.  It  is  a  native  of  the  East 
Indies,  and  particularly  found  along  the  coasts  of  Coro 
mandel,  Malacca,  and  the  Molucca  islands. 

THE   MAGOT. 

THIS  animal  is  generally  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Barbary  Ape.  Of  all  the  Apes  which  have  no  tail, 
this  animal  can  best  endure  the  temperature  of  our 
climate.  We  have  kept  one  for  many  years.  In  the 
summer  it  remained  in  the  open  air  with  pleasure  ; 
and  in  the  winter,  might  be  kept  in  a  room  without 
any  fire.  It  was  filthy,  and  of  a  sullen  disposition:  it 
equally  made  use  of  a  grimace  to  show  its  anger,  or 
express  its  sense  of  hunger:  its  motions  were  violent, 
its  manners  awkward,  and  its  physiognomy  rather  ugly 
than  ridiculous.  Whenever  it  was  offended,  it  grinned 
%nd  showed  its  teeth.  It  put  whatever  was  given  to  it 


i460  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

into  the  pouches  on  each  side  of  its  jaws,  and  com- 
monly ate  every  thing  that  was  offered  to  it,  except 
raw  flesh,  cheese,  and  other  things  of  a  fermentative 
nature  When  it  slept,  it  was  fond  of  roosting  on  a 
vvoodei.  or  iron  bar.  It  was  always  kept  chained,  for 
notwithstanding  its  long  subjection,  it  was  neither 
civilized,  nor  fond  of  its  keeper:  apparently,  it  had 
been  but  badly  educated,  for  I  hav^  seen  others  of  the 
same  kind  who  were  more  sagacious,  obedient,  gayer, 
and  so  tractable  as  to  be  taught  to  dance,  and  suffer 
themselves  quietly  to  be  clothed  and  dressed. 

This  ape  is  about  two  feet  and  a  half,  or  three  feet 
high,  in  its  erect  posture ;  but  the  female  is  not  so 
large  as  the  male.  It  rather  chooses  to  walk  on  all  fours, 
than  erect.  When  it  sleeps,  it  is  almost  always  sitting. 
There  are  two  very  prominent  callosities  on  its  poste- 
riors. It  differs  also  from  the  Pithecos ;  first  in  the 
form  of  its  snout,  which  is  thicker  and  longer,  like  that 
of  a  dog ;  whereas  the  pithecos  has  a  flat  visage,  like 
the  human.  Secondly,  in  having  long  canine  teeth  ; 
instead  of  which  the  pithecos  has  them  no  longer  in 
proportion  than  those  of  a  man.  Thirdly,  in  its  nails, 
which  are  neither  so  flat  nor  so  round  ;  and,  in  short, 
it  is  larger,  and  of  a  more  sullen  and  untractable  dis- 
position than  the  other.  It  abounds  in  Barbary. 
and  in  the  forests  of  India,  Arabia,  and  Africa.  In 
Barbary  the  trees  are  sometimes  nearly  covered  with 
them. 

It  is  probably  this  kind  of  Monkey  which  Robert 
Lade  speaks  of  in  the  following  terms  :  "  We  travel- 
led over  a  great  mountain  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope-, 
where  we  diverted  ourselves  with  hunting  the  large 
Apes,  which  are  there  in  great  plenty.  I  am  not  able 
to  represent  all  the  tractableness  of  these  animals 
which  pursued  us,  nor  the  swiftness  and  impudence 
with  which  they  returned  to  us  after  we  had  driven 
them  away.  Sometimes  they  suffered  us  to  approach 
so  near  them,  that,  stopping  almost  close  to  one  of 
these  animals,  to  take  my  observations,  I  thought  my- 
self certain  of  securing  him,  when,  taking  a  sudden 
leap,  he  sprang  above  ten  paces  from  me,  and  climbed 
up  a  tree  with  the  greatest  agility.  They  remained 
afterwards  very  quiet,  looking  on  us  as  though  they 
were  pleased  with  our  astonishment.  There  were  some 


3EOUP  OF  MONKEYS.        P.  251. 


BABOON.      P.  261- 


MONKEYS.  261 

•o  exceedingly  large,  that  if  they  had  been  of  a  fero- 
cious nature,  our  number  would  not  have  been  suffi- 
cient to  secure  us  from  their  attacks.  As  it  would  have 
been  useless  to  kill  these  animals,  we  made  no  use  of 
our  guns ;  but  the  captain,  thinking  to  wound  one  of 
them,  which  was  seated  on  a  tree,  after  a  long  pursuit, 
had  no  sooner  presented  his  piece,  but  the  animal, 
probably  from  the  remembrance  of  the  execution  of 
some  of  his  companions,  in  the  same  manner,  was  so 
greatly  terrified  at  it,  that  he  fell  almost  motionless  at 
our  feet,  and  being  stunned  in  the  fall,  we  had  not, the 
least  trouble  to  secure  it :  however,  when  it  revived,  we 
had  occasion  for  all  our  strength  and  address  to  keep 
it,  defending  itself  by  biting  those  who  were  near  it, 
which  obliged  us  to  bind  our  handkerchiefs  over  its 
head." 

Tavernier  tells  us  that  some  of  the  inhabitants  of 
India  adopt  a  ludicrous  mode  of  avenging  themselves 
on  these  Monkeys,  who  not  unfrequently  attack  the 
women  who  are  going  to  market,  and  rob  them  of 
their  provisions.  In  an  open  space,  near  the  retreat 
of  the  Apes,  they  place  five  or  six  baskets  of  rice, 
forty  or  fifty  yards  asunder,  and  near  the  baskets  a 
number  of  stout  cudgels,  each  two  feet  in  length. 
They  then  hide  themselves,  to  watch  for  the  result. 
Thinking  that  no  one  sees  them,  the  apes  hasten 
towards  the  baskets.  For  a  while  they  grin  angrily  at 
each  other,  then  approach,  then  retire,  and  seem  to 
dread  coming  to  action  for  the  prey.  More  daring 
than  the  males,  the  females  at  length  advance  to  the 
baskets,  and  as  they  thrust  in  their  heads  to  eat,  the 
males  on  the  one  side  rush  forward  to  prevent  them. 
This  brings  on  a  general  engagement,  and  the  cudgels 
are  lustily  plied  till  the  weakest  party  is  compelled  to 
seek  for  shelter  in  the  woods.  The  victors  then  quietly 
fall  to  upon  their  hard-earned  meal. 

THE    BABOON, 

PROPERLV  so  called,  has  a  pouch  on  each  side  of 
its  cheeks,  capable  of  being  greatly  distended ;  it  has 
callosities  on  its  posteriors,  which  are  naked,  and  of 
a  red  colour,  and  are  often  <jf  a  large  size  and  dis- 
gustingly conspicuous :  it*  tail  is  crooked  and  thick, 


263  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

generally  as  long  as,  and  sometimes  longer  than  the 
body,  but  in  several  of  the  species  it  is  extremely  short. 
The  canine  teeth  are  much  thicker  and  longer  than 
those  of  men.  Its  snout  is  very  thick  and  very  long, 
terminating  in  a  flattened  extremity  like  that  of  the 
dog  ;  its  ears  are  naked  ,  its  body  and  limbs  are  strong, 
thick,  and  short;  its  hair  is  long  and  thick,  of  a  reddish 
brown  colour,  and  pretty  uniform  over  the  whole  body 
It  walks  oftener  on  all  fours  than  upright,  and  is  from 
three  to  four  feet  high  ;  but  there  seems  to  be  different 
sizes  of  these  animals.  The  female  brings  forth  usually 
but  one  at  a  time,  which  she  carries  in  her  arms,  and 
in  a  peculiar  manner,  clinging  to  her  breast :  in  other 
respects,  these  Baboons,  although  .mischievous  and  fe- 
rocious, axe  not  carnivorous;  they  principally  feed  upon 
fruits,  roots,  and  corn  ;  they  generally  keep  together 
in  companies,  and  sally  forth  to  commit  their  depre- 
dations on  the  neighbouring  vineyards  or  orchards. 
"  As  they  are  extremely  fond  of  grapes,  apples,  and 
ripe  fruit,  they  assemble  together  in  great  numbers, 
and  proceed  on  their  enterprises  with  previous  delibe- 
ration. The  dogs  who  are  set  to  watch  do  not  easily 
conquer  these  animals,  as  they  are  extremely  active, 
and  make  dexterous  use  of  their  teeth  and  claws.  On 
these  occasions,  a  part  of  them  enter  the  enclosure, 
while  one  of  the  company  stands  sentinel ;  the  rest 
stand  without  the  fence,  a  small  distance  from  each 
other,  and  form  a  line,  reaching  all  the  way  from  the 
enclosure  to  the  rendezvous  without,  which  is  generally 
in  some  craggy  mountain.  Every  thing  being  thus 
disposed,  the  plunderers  within  the  orchard  throw  the 
fruit  to  them  without  as  fast  as  they  can  gather  it :  or, 
if  the  wall  or  hedge  be  high,  to  those  that  sit  at  the  top, 
and  these  hand  the  plunder  to  those  next  their  side." 


THE    MAIMON, 

•  WHICH  is  a  native  of  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  has 
pouches  on  each  side  of  its  cheeks,  and 'callosities  on 
its  posteriors  ;  its  tail  is  naked,  curled  up,  and  about 
the  length  of  five  or  six  inches  ;  the  canine  teeth  are 
not  much  longer  in  proportion  than  those  of  men ;  the 
snout  is  very  broad  ;  the  orbits  of  the  eyes  very  acute 
above  ;  the  face,  ears,  hands,  and  feet  are  naked,  and 


MONKEYS.  263 

of  i  flesh  colour  ;  the  hair  on  the  body  is  of  a  beautiful 
grsenish  gray,  each  hair  being  gray  and  black  tipped 
with  yellow;  the  extremities  are  gray;  the  region  of 
the  reins  is  a  golden  yellow ;  and  the  thighs  are  of  a 
lively  red.  It  sometimes  walks  erect,  and  at  other 
times  upon  all  fours:  it  is  about  two  feet  or  two  fee* 
and  a  half  tall  when  erect.  It  is  a  spiteful  animal. 


THE  MANDRILL. 

THIS  Baboon,  which  also  bears  the  nam«  of  thjj 
Ribbed-nosed  Baboon,  is  an  ugly,  disgusting  animal. 
It  is  found  on  the  Gold  Coast,  and  in  other  southern 
provinces  of  Africa,  where  the  Negroes  call  it  Boggo, 
and  the  Europeans  Mandrill.  This  animal  is  the  largest 
of  the  Baboon  kind.  Smith  relates,  that  a  female  Man- 
drill was  given  to  him,  which  was  not  above  six  months 
old,  and  had  then  attained  the  size  of  an  adult  Baboon; 
he  likewise  acquaints  us,  that  these  animals  walk  always 
erect ;  that  they  sigh  and  cry,  like  the  human  species  ; 
that  they  have  a  violent  passion  for  the  female  sex  ; 
that  they  never  fail  to  overcame  them  if  they  find  them 
within  their  reach. 

This  animal  is  equally  remarkable  for  its  variety 
of  colour,  its  singularity  of  appearance,  its  immense 
strength,  and  its  unconquerable  savageness.  "  Under 
its  projecting  forehead,"  says  Mr.  Bingley,  "  are  two 
small  and  vivid  eyes,  situated  so  near  to  each  other 
that  their  position  alone  gives  to  the  physiognomy  an 
air  of  ferocity.  An  enormous  muzzle,  indicative  of  the 
most  brutal  passions,  terminates  in  a  broad  and  rounded 
extremity  of  a  fiery  red  colour,  from  which  continually 
oozes  a  mucous  humour.  The  cheeks,  greatly  swollen 
and  deeply  furrowed,  are  naked,  and  of  a  deep  blue 
colour.  A  narrow  blood-coloured  ridge  extends  down 
the  middle  of  the  face,  and  terminates  in  the  nose." 
Round  the  neck  the  hair  is  very  long.  On  the  sides 
of  the  head  it  joins  that  at  the  top,  and  the  whole 
terminates  in  a  somewhat  pointed  form.  Each  "hair 
of  the  body  is  annulated  with  black  and  yellow ;  so 
that  the  whole  fur  has  a  greenish  brown  hue. 

When  standing  upright,  the  Mandrill  is  in  height 
fir  jm  three  feet  and  a  half  to  five  feet.  It  is  to  be  found 
on  the  Gold  Coast,  in  several  other  parts  of  Africa,  and 


NATURAL     IISTORV. 

also  in  the  East  Indies  and  the  Indian  Archipelago. 
Its  voice  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  roaring  of  a 
lion.  No  art  or  kindness  can  in  the  least  subdue  its 
brutal  propensities  ;  and  its  g^eat  strength  renders  it 
an  object  of  perpetual  dread  to  its  keepers.  Yet  it 
is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  carnivorous  animal ;  for, 
though  it  will  eat  meat  that  has  been  cooked,  its  usual 
food  is  fruits  and  nuts. 

THE    PIG-TAILED    BABOON, 

So  termed  from  its  short,  naked,  piglike  tail,  is  the 
least  of  all  the  Baboon  kind  ;  it  has  a  la-rge  thick 
muzzle,  naked  face  and  ears,  and  is  of  a  flesh  colour; 
the  hair  on  the  head  and  back  is  of  a  deep  olive  :  it 
has  hazel  eyes,  and  callosities  on  the  buttocks,  which 
are  naked,  and  of  a  red  colour.  It  is  a  native  of 
Sumatra  and  Japan. 

THE    PIG-FACED    BABOON. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  also  called  the  Chacena,  is  a 
native  of  Africa,  and  was  formerly  exceedingly  trouble- 
some to  the  settlers  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  Its  general  colour  is  a  dusky  hue, 
bordering  upon  black.  The  body  is  from  two  to  three 
feet  in  length,  and  the  tail  is  so  short  that,  when  the 
animal  stands  on  all  fours,  it  does  not  reach  the  ground. 
The  forehead  of  this  species  is  remarkably  depressed  ; 
the  nose  is  much  prolonged.  The  voice  of  the  Pig- 
faced  Baboon  has  a  near  resemblance  to  the  bark  of 
a  dog. 

THE    BONNETED    MONKEY. 

THIS  animal  is  called  the  Chinese  Bonnet  by  Buffon. 
This  name  it  derives  from  the  circumstance  of  the  hair 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  head  diverging  horizontally 
from  a  central  point  towards  an  imaginary  circum- 
ference ;  thus  looking  not  unlike  the  round  bonnet  of 
a  Chinese.  Its  body  is  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches 
long,  and  its  tail  quite  as  much.  The  whole  of  the  face 
is  hairless,  and  the  forehead,  which  is  strongly  wrinkled, 
*»  nearly  naked.  The  colour  of  the  upper  part  of  the 


MONKEYS.  'Ji  i,ri 

body  is  a  \miform  yellowish  gray ;  the  under  surface 
derives  a  bluish  tinge  from  the  skin,  which  has  but  a 
thin  covering.  Eastern  Asia  is  the  native  country  of 
this  species. 

THE    DOG-FACED    BABOON. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  between  four  and  five  feet 
high,  and  inhabits  various  parts  of  Africa  and  Asia,  is 
distinguished  by  a  longer  tail  than  the  rest  of  its  kind  ; 
in  this  respect  it  seems  to  bear  some  affinity  to  the 
Monkey,  and  has  been  classed  under  that  denomination 
by  several  naturalists.  Its  head  is  large,  muzzle  long 
and  thick,  eyes  small,  face  naked,  and  of  an  olive 
colour;  the  hair  on  its  forehead  is  separated  in  the 
middle,  and  hangs  down  on  each  side  of  the  face  ;  from 
thence  down  its  back  as  far  as  its  waist  it  is  long  and 
shaggy,  of  a  bluish  gray  colour,  freckled  with  dark 
spots  ;  the  hair  on  the  lower  part  of  the  body  is  short ; 
and  its  buttocks  are  bare  and  red.  It  lives  in  troops, 
commits  great  depredations  in  gardens  and  cultivated 
grounds,  and  is  exceedingly  strong,  vicious,  and  impu- 
dent. 


THE    URSINE    BABOON 

Is  not  unlike  the  last,  but  rather  less.  Its  nose  is 
long,  head  large,  ears  short,  forehead  high  and  pro- 
minent, terminating  in  a  ridge ;  the  body  thick  and 
strong,  covered  with  long  dusky  hair,  which  gives  it 
the  appearance  of  a  young  bear  ;  its  tail  is  half  the 
length  of  its  body  ;  its  buttocks  red.  This  animal 
is  very  numerous  about  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
Troops  of  them  make  expeditions  for  the  sake  of 
piunder,  in  which,  to  prevent  being  surprised,  they 
place  a  sentinel,  which,  upon  the  sight  of  a  man,  gives 
a  loud  yell ;  when  the  whole  troop  retreats  with  the 
greatest  precipitation;  the  young  ones  leaping  on  the 
backs  of  their  parents,  and  clinging  closely  to  them. 
When  the  Ursine  Baboon  sees  a  single  person  sitting 
and  eating  in  the  fields,  it  will  steal  behind  him,-  snatch 
his  food  from  him,  retire  to  a  little  distance,  and  begin 
to  devour  it ;  now  and  then  holding  it  out  in  its  paws 
towards  the  loser,  with  many  laughable  grimace*,  a* 
VOL.  II.— 23 


P.06  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

if  offering  to  restore  the  prize.  It  may  ae  tamed,  and 
will  then  guard  its  master's  property  with  all  the 
sagacity  and  fidelity  of  a  dog. 


THE   U'ANDEROO  AND  THE  LOANDO. 

As  these  two  animals  seem  to  be  but  one  and  the 
same  species,  we  have,  therefore,  here  preserved  the 
two  names  they  bear  in  Ceylon,  as  they  at  least  form 
two  distinct  breeds.  The  body  of  the  Wanderoo  is 
covered  with  brown  and  black  hairs,  and  he  has  a  long 
white  head  of  hair,  and  a  monstrous  white  beard  ;  the 
body  of  the  Loando,  on  the  contrary,  is  covered  with 
whitish  hairs,  but  he  has  the  like  large  head  of  hair 
and  beard.  There  is  still  a  third  variety  found  in  the 
same  country,  which  may,  possibly,  be  the  common 
stock  of  the  other  two,  because  it  is  of  a  uniform  whi- 
tish colour  over  its  body,  with  the  like  head  of  hair 
and  beard.  These  animals  are  baboons,  and  not,  as 
some  have  imagined,  monkeys,  as  they  have  all  the 
characters,  as  well  in  shape  as  in  disposition,  and  are 
of  the  same  savage  nature,  and  even  more  ferocious. 

"The  white  monkeys  (says  Forbin)  are  sometimes 
as  big  as  the  largest  English  mastiff;  they  are  more 
dangerous  than  the  black :  they  principally  attack 
women,  and  often,  after  having  greatly  injured  them, 
finish  their  cruelty  by  strangling.  Sometimes  they 
even  come  to  their  houses  ;  but  the  Macaroes,  who  are 
very  jealous  of  their  wives,  take  care  to  prevent  their 
entrance  into  their  habitations  ;  and  the  females  not 
liking  (as  the  chevalier  humorously  relates)  either  the 
manners  or  the  figure  of  the  paltry  gallants,  boldly 
stand  on  their  defence,  and  with  clubs,  or  whatever 
other  arms  they  can  provide,  instead  of  answering 
their  caresses,  oblige  their  ugly  suitors  to  return,  not, 
however,  before  they  have  damaged  or  plundered  every 
thing  they  can  lay  their  hands  on."  It  is,  however, 
exceedingly  doubtful  whether  the  white  monkey,  here 
described,  be  of  the  same  species  as  the  Wanderoo. 

THE  MACAQUE  AND  THE  EGRET. 

OF  all  the  Apes,  or  Monkeys,  with  long  tails,  the 
Macaque  approaches  nearest  the  Baboon  ;  its  body 


MONKEYS.  267 

being  short  and  compact,  like  that  animal'  •  its  head 
thick,  its  snout  broad,  its  nose  flat,  its  cheeks  wrinkled  ; 
but  it  is  bulkier  and  taller  than  most  other  Monkeys. 
It  is  also  so  extremely  ugly,  that  it  might  well  be  look- 
ed upon  as  a  smaller  kind  of  the  Baboon,  if  it  did  not 
differ  in  the  tail,  which  is  crooked,  but  longer  and 
tufted  ;  whereas  that  of  the  Baboon,  in  general,  is  ex- 
tremely short.  This  species  is  a  native  of  Congo,  and 
other  southern  parts  of  Africa.  It  is  numerous,  and 
subject  to  many  varieties  with  respect  to  its  size,  colour, 
and  disposition  of  the  hair.  The  body  of  that  de- 
scribed by  Hasselquist  was  more  than  two  feet  long; 
and  those  which  we  have  seen  were  ?.ot  above  one  foot 
and  a  half.  That  which  we  here  term  the  Egret,  be- 
cause of  the  plume  on  its  head,  seems  to  be  only  a  va- 
riety of  the  first,  which  it  perfectly  resembles,  except- 
ing the  difference  before  mentioned,  and  some  other 
slight  varieties  in  the  hair.  Both  of  them  are  tracta- 
ble and  docile  ;  but,  independent  of  the  scent  which 
they  diffuse  around  them,  they  are  so  misshapen,  and 
even  so  hideous  when  they  grimace,  that  we  cannot 
look  on  them  without  horror  and  disgust.  These  Mon- 
keys go  in  flocks.  Bosnian  relates,  that  they  take  a 
melon  in  each  hand,  under  their  arms,  and  one  in  their 
mouths,  which  they  go  off  with  ;  if  the  pursuit  is  hot, 
they  drop  first  that  from  under  their  arm,  then  that 
from  their  hand  ;  and  if  it  be  continued,  they  at  last 
let  fall  that  which  they  had  hitherto  kept  in  their 
mouths.  In  other  respects,  says  this  traveller,  they 
examine  the  melon  beds  carefully,  and  what  does  not 
please  them  they  throw  away,  and  tear  up  others ;  so 
that,  by  this  nicety,  they  do  exceedingly  great  injuries 
to  many  of  the  orchards  and  vineyards  by  their  depre- 
dations. 


THE    PATAS. 

Is  a  native  of  the  same  country,  and  is  nearly  of  the 
same  size,  as  the  macaque,  the  body  being  only  some- 
what longer,  the  face  not  so  ugly,  and  the  hair  fairer. 
It  is,  indeed,  of  so  brilliant  a  red,  that  the  animal  looks 
as  if  it  were  painted.  The  face  is  of  a  flesh  colour, 
and  the  ears  black.  The  length  of  this  animal  is  about 
half  a  yard.  In  Senegal  it  is  called  the  Red  Monkey. 


5S6S  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

I  am  inclined  to  think,  that  the  Monkey  spoken  of  by 
IVIarmol,  and  said  to  be  of  the  colour  of  the  wild  cat, 
and  to  be  a  native  of  Africa,  is  only  a  variety  of  the 
Patas  species.  These  animals  are  not  so  subtle  as 
others  of  their  kind,  but  are  possessed  of  an  extreme 
curiosity.  "  I  have  seen  them  (says  Bruce)  descend 
from  the  top  to  the  branches  of  very  high  trees,  to  view 
the  vessels  on  the  water,  which  they  admired  for  some 
time,  and  seemed  diverted  with  what  they  had  seen  ; 
they  quitted  their  stations  for  their  companions  to  have 
the  same  sight :  some  even  threw  the  branches  of  the 
trees  at  the  French,  who  returned  their  salute  with  a 
musket  ball;  some  were  killed,  others  wounded,  and 
the  rest  fell  on  the  ground  in  the  utmost  consternation. 
One  part  uttered  most  hideous  cries,  while  another 
was  picking  up  stones  to  throw  at  their  enemies,  and  a 
third  were  occupied  in  the  easing  of  nature  into  their 
hands,  which  presently  they  sent  with  vengeance  to 
the  spectators ;  but  perceiving,  at  length,  how  unequal 
the  battle  was,  they  desisted,  and  prudently  retired." 

THE    MALEROUCK. 

THESE  animals  are  found  in  Bengal,*  where  travel- 
lers inform  us  they  plunder  whole  fields  of  grain,  and 
plantations  of  sugarcanes ;  and  while  one  stands  sen- 
tinel on  a  tree,  the  others  load  themselves  with  the 
booty.  But  if  the  owner  of  the  field  or  plantations 
appear  to  interrupt  their  depredations,  their  faithful 
companion  on  the  look  out  gives  notice  by  crying  out 
houp,  houp,  fioup,  which  the  rest  perfectly  understand  ; 
and  all  at  once  throwing  down  their  plunder,  which 
they  hold  in  their  left  hands,  they  scamper  off  upon 
three  legs,  holding  the  remainder  in  their  right,  and 
save  themselves  from  their  pursuers  by  climbing  up 
trees,  where  they  have  their  general  abode.  The  fe- 
males, even  loaded  with  their  young  ones,  clasp  them 
close  to  the  breast,  leap  like  the  others  from  branch  to 
branch,  and  escape  with  the  rest.  When  it  happens 
they  cannot  find  any  provision  in  the  fields,  they  get 
on  the  tops  of  houses,  and,  having  pulled  off  the  tiles, 
do  great  damage  to  the  inside.  They  do  not  eat  a  sin- 

'Some  later  naturalists  are  jf  opinion,  that  the  Malbrouck  is  not  a  native  of  I* 
««,  but  of  Africa. 


MONKEYS.  369 

gle  thing  without  smelling  at  it  for  1 1-ong  time  before- 
hand ;  and  when  they  have  satisfied  their  hunger,  they 
put  the  remainder  in  the  pouches  on  the  sides  of  their 
cheeks  for  the  next  day:  they  destroy  the  nests  of 
birds,  and  never  fail  to  throw  the  eggs  on  the  ground 
when  they  want  appetite  or  inclination  to  eat  them. 

The  most  formidable  enemy  these  animals  have  is 
the  serpent,  no  other  animal  of  the  forest  being  able 
to  surprise  them,  as  they  are  so  exceedingly  swift  and 
subtle,  and  easily  climb  up  and  seat  themselves  on  the 
tops  of  the  highest  trees.  "  The  Monkey,"  says  a 
traveller,  "  has  it  in  his  power  to  be  master  of  the 
forest,  for  there  are  neither  tigers  nor  lions  which  can 
dispute  the  possession  with  it :  the  chief  animal  it  has 
to  fear,  and  which  attacks  them  both  night  and  day,  is 
the  snake.  There  are  some  snakes  in  those  forests  of 
a  prodigious  size,  which  wind  up  the  trees  where  the 
Monkeys  reside,  and,  when  the)  happen  to  surprise 
them  sleeping,  swallow  them  whole  before  the  little 
animals  have  time  to  make  a  defence." 

The  Malbrouck  has  pouches  on  each  side  of  its 
cheeks,  and  callosities  on  its  posteriors  ;  its  tail  is  very 
near  as  long  as  the  body  and  head  put  together.  The 
eyelids  are  of  a  fleshy,  and  the  face  of  an  ash  colour; 
the  ears  are  large,  thin,  and  of  a  flesh  colour ;  they 
have  a  list  of  gray  hairs  on  them,  like  the  mona ;  but 
in  other  parts  are  of  a  uniform  colour,  approaching 
towards  a  brown  on  the  upper  parts  of  the  body,  and 
towards  a  gray  on  the  lower.  It  goes  on  all  fours,  and 
is  about  a  foot  or  a  foot  and  a  half  long  from  the  snout 
to  the  insertion  of  the  tail. 


THE  MANGABEY.  ??     .  •;, 

WE  have  seen  two  of  this  kind  of  Monkey :  both 
were  sent  to  us  by  the  denomination  of  Madagascar 
Monkeys.  They  are  however,  most  probably,  natives 
cf  the  western  coast  of  Africa.  They  are  easily  distin- 
guished by  a  very  apparent  character.  The  Mangabey 
has  its  eyelids  naked,  and  of  a  striking  whiteness.  It 
has  pouches  on  each  side  of  its  cheeks,  and  callosities 
on  its  posteriors.  Its  tail  is  as  long  as  the  head  and 
body  put  together,  and  it  has  a  prominent  roll  of  hair 
over  its  eves.  Its  snout  is  thick  and  long,  its  eyebrows 
23* 


270  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


rough  and  bristly,  its  ears  black  and  ahiust  naked1 
the  hair  of  the  upper  parts  of  its  body  brown,  and  those 
below  gray.  There  is  a  variety  in  this  species,  some 
being  of  a  uniform  colour,  and  others  having  a  circle 
of  white  hair  round  the  neck,  and  the  form  of  a  beard 
round  their  jaws.  They  walk  on  all  fours,  and  are 
near  a  foot  and  a  half  long  from  the  snout  to  the  tail. 
From  the  peculiarity  of  their  eyelids,  they  have  the 
name  of  the  White  Eyelid  Monkey. 

THE   MO.VA,   VARIED,   OR  COMMON   MONKEY, 

Is  the  most  common  of  the  Monkey  tribe.  We  kept 
one  of  them  alive  for  many  years.  This  alone  is  suf- 
ficient to  prove  that  it  is  not  a  native  of  the  hot  coun- 
tries of  Africa  and  India.  In  fact,  it  is  met  with  in 
Barbary,  Arabia,  Persia,  &c.  The  visage  of  this  ani- 
mal is  of  a  brown  hue,  with  a  kind  of  white  beard, 
mixed  with  yellow  and  a  little  black  ;  the  back  is  red 
and  black  ;  the  belly  and  the  hind  parts  of  the  thighs 
and  legs  whitish,  though  the  foreparts  of  the  two  last 
are  of  a  black  colour  :  the  tail  is  of  an  ash-colour, 
marked  with  two  white  spots,  one  on  each  side,  at  its  in- 
sertion. On  its  forehead  the  hair  is  of  a  gray  colour,  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent,  and  between  the  eyes  and  the 
ears  is  a  black  stripe,  as  there  is  from  the  ears,  and 
shoulders,  and  arms. 

In  general,  the  disposition  of  the  Monkey  is  much 
more  tractable  than  the  baboon,  and  not  so  sullen  as 
the  ape  :  it  is  extravagantly  spirited,  but  not  ferocious, 
being  docile  through  fear.  The  Mona  is,  in  particular, 
susceptible  of  education,  and  even  attached  to  those 
persons  who  take  care  of  it.  That  which  we  brought 
up  would  suffer  itself  to  be  stroked  and  handled  by 
those  it  knew,  but  would  often  bite  strangers.  It  was 
chained,  but  was  very  desirous  of  its  liberty  :  for,  when 
it  either  broke  its  chain  or  got  loose,  it  would  run  away, 
and  would  not  suffer  itself  to  be  retaken  by  any  other 
person  than  its  master.  It  ate  every  thing  that  was  offer- 
ed to  it,  especially  flesh,  bread,  and  its  favourite  food, 
fruits.  The  Mona  is  about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  length. 

THE  CALLITRIX,  OR   GREEN   MONKEY, 

HAS  got  pouches  on  each  side  of  its  cheeks,  and  cal- 
losities on  its  posteriors :  the  tail  is  much  longer  than 


MONKEYS.  271 

the  WMiole  bouy,  and  is  terminated  by  a  brush  of  yellow 
hair.  Its  head  is  small,  its  snout  long,  and  its  face  and 
ears  of  a  black  colour,  with  some  long  yellow  hairs  on 
the  cheeks:  it  has  a  narrow  stripe  instead  of  eyebrows, 
formed  of  long  black  hairs :  above,  it  is  of  a  fine  olive- 
green  colour,  with  a  little  yellow  mixed  with  it ;  and 
beneath,  it  is  of  a  dirty  white  :  it  walks  on  all  fours ; 
and  the  length  of  its  body,  including  its  head,  is  about 
fifteen  inches. 

The  Callitrix  is  found  in  Senegal,  as  well  as  in  Mau- 
ritania and  the  neighbouring  islands.  Mr.  Adanson 
relates,  that  the  environs  of  the  woods  of  Podor  on  the 
banks  of  the  Senegal  are  filled  with  green  Monkeys. 
**  I  only  discovered  these  animals  (says  he,)  by  their 
breaking  off  the  branches  of  trees,  and  throwing  them 
down  on  my  head  ;  for  they  were  so  very  quiet  and 
nimble  in  their  tricks,  that  I  could  scarcely  hear  them. 
I  did  not  walk  far,  before  I  killed  three  of  them  with- 
out in  the  least  terrifying  any  of  the  rest;  howevei, 
when  numbers  felt  themselves  wounded,  they  began 
to  retreat,  some  concealing  themselves  behind  large 
branches,  and  others  descending  and  running  away ; 
but  the  greatest  number  leaped  from  the  top  of  one 
tree  to  another.  During  this  little  fray,  I  killed  about 
twenty-three  in  less  than  an  hour,  without  any  of  them 
uttering  a  single  cry,  although  they  made  an  appear- 
ance of  attacking  me." 

THE    MUSTACHE 

SEEMS  to  be  a  native  of  the  same  country  as  the 
macaque.  It  is,  probably,  the  same  animal  as  the 
Guinea  travellers  call  White  Nose,  from  its  upper  lips 
being  of  a  white  colour,  whereas  all  the  rest  of  its  face 
is  of  a  deep  blue.  It  seems  to  be  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  Monkey  kind. 

The  Mustache  has  pouches  on  each  side  of  its  cheeks, 
and  callosities  on  its  posteriors.  The  tail  is  much  longer 
than  the  head  and  body  together.  Its  face  is  of  a  deep 
blue,  with  a  great  and  broad  white  mark  in  the  shape 
of  a  chevron  under  the  nose,  which  is  naked.  There 
is  only  a  slight  edging  of  black  hair  both  on  the  upper 
and  under  lip.  Its  body  is  short  and  compact.  There 
are  two  thick  tufts  of  hair  of  a  bright  yellow  colour 


272  XATVRAL  HISTORI. 

below  the  ears,  and  another  tuft  of  bristly  hair  upon 
the  head  ;  the  hair  of  the  body  is  of  a  greenish  cast, 
and  the  breast  and  belly  of  an  ash  colour.  It  walks 
on  all  fours,  and  is  about  a  foot  long.  The  female  is 
subject  to  a  periodical  emanation. 

THE  TALAPOIN 

Is  a  pretty  small  animal  ;  its  name  indicates  it  to  be 
a  native  of  Siam,  and  other  eastern  provinces  of  Asia, 
but  we  cannot  speak  positively  as  to  that  point ;  how- 
ever, it  is  certain  it  is  a  native  of  the  Old  Continent, 
and  not  found  any  where  in  the  New,  from  the  pouches 
on  each  side  of  its  cheeks,  and  callosities  on  its  poste- 
riors, which  characters  neither  belong  to  the  sagoins, 
nor  sapajous,  which  are  the  only  animals  of  the  New 
World  which  we  can  compare  with  the  Monkey. 

Edwards  has  given  a  figure  and  description  of  a 
Monkey,  by  the  name  of  the  Black  Monkey,  of  a 
moderate  size,  which  seems  to  approach  nearer  the 
Talapoin  than  any  of  the  rest.  It  is  also,  probably, 
the  same  species  of  Black  Monkeys  which  Bosman 
epeaks  of,  by  the  name  of  Bourdmanmetjes,  thn  skin 
of  which,  he  informs  us,  makes  a  good  fur.  M.  Cuvier, 
however,  is  of  opinion,  that  the  Talapoin  is  only  the 
malbrouck  in  its  youthful  state. 

THE    DOUC 

Is  the  last  among  the  class  of  animals,  called  Apes, 
Baboons,  and  Monkeys.  This  animal,  without  belong- 
ing to  any  one  of  these  three  precisely,  yet  partakes 
of  them  all.  Of  the  Monkey,  in  the  length  of  its  tail  ; 
of  the  Baboon,  in  its  size ;  and  of  the  Ape,  by  the 
flatness  of  its  face.  It  has,  besides,  a  very  particular 
character,  by  which  it  seems  to  fill  up  the  chasrn 
between  the  Monkey  and  the  sapajou.  These  two 
families  of  animals  differ  between  themselves,  the 
Monkey  having  fleshy  posteriori,  and  all  the  sapajous 
having  them  covered  with  hair.  The  Douc  is  the  only 
Monkey  which  has  hairy  posteriors  like  the  sapajou: 
it  resembles  it  also  by  the  flatness  of  the  snout ;  but  it 
is  infinitely  nearer  the  Monkey  than  the  sapajou,  by 
its  long  tail,  and  by  other  very  essential  characters 


AMERICAN    MONKEYS.  273 

Its  variegated  skin  seems  to  indicate  the  ambiguity 
of  its  nature,  and  at  the  same  time  distinguishes  its 
species  in  a  very  evident  manne' 

The  Douc  has  no  callosities  on  its  posteriors,  and  is 
clothed  all  over  with  hair :  its  tail,  though  long,  is  not 
so  long  as  its  body  and  head  put  together  ;  its  face  is 
covered  with  reddish  down  with  a  white  beard  ;  the 
ears  are  naked,  and  of  the  same  colour  as  the  face  ; 
the  lips  brown,  as  are  the  orbits  of  the  eyes :  the 
colour  of  the  hair  is  very  bright,  and  very  variegated  ; 
it  has  a  collar  of  a  purple  colour  round  its  neck  ;  its 
forehead,  body,  and  arms,  are  white;  its  hind  legs  are 
of  a  red  chestnut;  it  is  black  above  the  forehead  and 
the  upper  part  of  the  arms ;  the  parts  below  the  body 
are  of  an  ash  colour ;  the  tail  is  white  as  well  as  the 
bottom  of  the  loins  ;  it  more  frequently  walks  on  two 
feet  than  on  four  ;  and  it  is  three  feet  and  a  half  or 
four  feet  high  when  it  is  upright. 

Travellers  inform  us,  that  the  larger  Monkeys  of 
the  southern  parts  of  Asia  produce  bezoar  in  their 
stomach,  which  is  superior  to  that  of  the  bezoar  of 
goats  and  gazelles.  These  larger  Monkeys  of  the 
southern  parts  of  India,  are  the  wanderoo  and  the 
Douc.  We,  therefore,  suppose  that  we  must  refer 
the  production  of  the  bezoar  to  this  species.  It  is 
pretended,  that  this  Monkey  bezoar  is  always  of  a 
round  form,  whereas  the  other  bezoars  are  of  different 
sizes  and  figures. 

OF    THE     MONKEY    TRIBE    IN    AMERICA 

ALL  the  four-handed  animals  which  we  have  given 
a  description  of,  and  which  we  have  comprehended 
under  the  general  names  of  Apes,  Baboons,  and  Mon- 
keys, exclusively  belong  to  the  Old  Continent:  and 
all  those  which  remain  to  be  spoken  of,  are,  on  the 
contrary,  only  found  in  the  New  World.  We  here 
distinguish  them  by  two  generical  names,  as  we  can 
divide  them  into  two  classes  ;  the  first  into  that  of 
the  SAPAJOU,  and  the  second  into  the  SAGOIN.  Both 
these  animals  have  their  feet  nearly  like  those  of  the 
Ape  and  Monkey  kind,  but  they  differ  from  the  Ape  in 
having  tails.  The  sapajou  has  a  very  long  tail,  which 
it  makes  use  of  to  seize  and  lay  hold  of  things,  and  by 


274  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

which  it  suspends  from  the  branches  of  trees.  The 
tail  of  the  sangoin,  on  the  contrary,  is  proportionally 
longer  than  that  of  the  sapajou,  but  is  weak  and  straight, 
so  that  they  cannot  make  use  of  it  either  to  lay  hold 
of  any  thing,  or  for  the  purpose  of  climbing  :  this  dif- 
ference is  so  very  apparent,  that  it  is  alone  sufficient 
to  distinguish  the  sapajou  from  the  sagoin. 

THE    WARINE    AND    THE    ALOUATO 

ARE  the  largest  of  these  animals  belonging  to  the 
New  Continent ;  they  surpass  the  size  of  the  largest 
Monkey,  and  approach  the  size  of  the  baboon  :  they 
have  a  long  tail,  and  are  moreover  of  the  sapajou 
family,  in  which  they  hold  a  very  distinct  rank,  not  only 
with  regard  to  size,  but  also  to  voice,  which  sounds 
like  a  drum,  or,  as  others  say,  like  the  screaming  of 
immense  herds  of  swine,  and  may  be  heard  at  a  very 
great  distance.  From  the  excessive  noise  which  they 
make  they  have  obtained  the  name  of  the  Howling 
Monkey.  Marcgrave  informs  us,  "  that  every  morning 
and  evening  the  Warines  and  the  Alouatos  assemble  in 
the  woods  ;  that  one  among  them  seats  himself  on  an 
elevated  place,  makes  a  sign  with  his  hand  to  the  rest 
to  seat  themselves  round  him  ;  as  soon  as  he  sees  them 
all  seated,  he  begins  an  oration  with  so  quick  and  loud 
a  voice,  that,  at  a  distance,  it  might  be  imagined  they 
were  all  making  a  noise  together.  During  the  whole 
discourse  the  rest  keep  a  profound  silence,  and 'when 
it  is  ended,  he  makes  a  signal  to  the  rest  to  answer 
him,  and  immediately  they  all  set  up  a  cry  together, 
till  by  another  sign  with  his  hand  he  orders  them  to 
be  silent:  when  they  are  immediately  obedient  and 
quiet.  Then  the  first  renews  his  discourse,  or  his  song, 
which  when  finished,  and  the  others  have  paid  the 
utmost  attention  to  it  the  whole  assembly  breaks  up 
and  separates."  This  singular  noise  is  made  by  the 
instrumentality  of  a  long  bony  process  in  the  throat. 
According  to  the  same  author,  "  the  face  of  the  Warine 
is  broad,  the  eyes  black  and  sparkling,  the  ears  short 
and  round,  the  tail  naked  at  the  extremity,  with  which 
it  holds  firmly  whatever  it  encircles;  the  hair  of  the 
body  is  black,  long,  and  glossy ;  it  is  much  longer  under 
the  chin,  which  forms  a  kind  of  roun  ?  beard  :  the  hair 


.AMERICAN    MONKEYS.  275 

oft  the  hands,  feet,  and  a  part  of  the  tail,  is  brown. 
The  male  is  of  the  same  colour  as  the  female,  and  only 
differs  from  it  in  being  a  little  larger.  The  females 
carry  their  young  on  their  backs,  and  thus  loaded  leap 
from  branch  to  branch,  and  from  tree  to  tree.  The 
young  one  clasps  the  narrowest  part  of  the  body  of  the 
mother  with  its  hands  and  arms,  and  thus  holds  itself 
firmly  fastened,  whatever  motion  its  parent  makes.  In 
other  respects,  these  animals  are  wild  and  mischievous: 
they  can  neither  be  tamed  nor  subdued,  and  bite  dread- 
fully. As  they  live  only  on  fruit,  grain,  and  some 
insects,  their  flesh  is  not  bad  eating.  It  is  like  tliat  of 
the  hare,  but  a  little  sweetish,  for  which  reason  a  good 
quantity  of  salt  is  put  to  that  which  is  roasted  :  the 
fat  is  yellow,  like  that  of  the  capon,  and  of  a  very  fine 
flavour.  They  easily  fasten  upon  the  branches  of  trees, 
and  stick  either  by  their  hands,  feet,  or  tail,  wherever 
they  touch,  which  renders  it  very  difficult  to  take  them, 
even  after  they  are  shot,  for  if  they  are  only  wounded, 
they  will  not  fall  to  the  ground,  but  cling  to  the  branch, 
and  remain  on  the  tree  where  they  were  shot,  till  they 
drop  off*  by  putrefaction.  What  appears  singular  is, 
that  the  moment  one  of  them  is  wounded,  the  rest 
assemble  round,  and  clap  their  fingers  into  the  wound, 
as  if  they  were  desirous  of  sounding  its  depth.  If  the 
blood  then  flows  in  any  quantity,  they  keep  it  shut  up, 
while  others  get  leaves,  which  they  chew,  and  thrust 
into  the  orifice.  The  females  bring  forth  only  one  at 
a  time." 

The  Alouato  has  the  same  characters  as  the  Warine, 
and  only  seems  to  differ  from  it  in  having  no  beard, 
and  a  reddish-coloured  hair,  whereas,  that  of  the 
Warine  is  black. 


THE    COAITA. 

to  the  warine  and  the  alouato,  the  Coaita,  or 
Four-fingered  Monkey,  is  the  largest  of  the  sapajous. 
There  was  one  alive  at  the  Duke  of  Bouillon's,  where, 
by  its  familiarity  and  forward  caresses,  it  merited  the 
affection  of  those  who  had  it  under  their  care  ;  but  in 
spite  of  the  good  treatment  and  attention  paid  to  it,  it 
could  not  resist  the  winter  of  the  year  1764.  It  differs 
greatly  ;n  disposition  from  the  warine  and  the  alouato, 


Z7<5  fiATUKAL    HIMORY. 

which  are  wild  and  untameable.  It  also  differs  from 
them  in  having  but  four  fingers  and  no  thumb  to  the 
fore  paws  :  by  this  character  alone,  and  its  holding 
tail,  it  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  monkey  kind. 
In  the  use  of  their  tail  these  animals  are  singularly 
dexterous.  They  can  pick  up  with  it  even  straws  and 
bits  of  wood  ;  and  M.  Audebert  tells  us,  that  he  saw 
one  of  this  species  carry  hay  in  its  tail  to  make  its  bed, 
and  move  and  spread  it  about  as  easily  as  an  elephant 
could  have  done  with  his  trunk. 

In  climbing,  too,  this  member  is  of  great  use. 
"There  are  (says  Dampier)  in  the  Isthmus  of  Ameri- 
ca, numbers  of  Monkeys,  some  of  which  are  white, 
but  the  most  part  black — some  have  beards,  others 
none.  These  Monkeys  are  very  droll,  and  performed 
a  thousand  grotesque  postures  as  we  traversed  in  the 
woods.  When. they  are  unable  to  leap  from  one  tree 
to  another,  on  account  of  the  distance,  or  the  tree  be- 
ing separated  by  a  river  their  dexterity  is  very  surpri- 
sing. The  whole  family  form  a  kind  of  chain,  locking 
tail  in  tail,  or  hand  in  hand,  and  one  of  them  holding 
the  branch  above,  the  rest  swing  down,  balancing  to 
and  fro,  like  a  pendulum,  until  the  undermost  is  ena- 
bled to  catch  hold  of  the  lower  branches  of  some 
neighbouring  tree.  When  the  hold  is  fixed  below,  the 
Monkey  lets  go  that  which  was  above,  and  thus  comes 
undermost  in  turn  ;  but,  creeping  up  along  the  chain, 
attains  the  next  branches  of  the  tree  like  the  rest ;  and 
thus,  they  all  take  possession  without  ever  coming  to 
the  ground." 

They  have  the  address  to  break  the  shell  of  the  oys- 
ters to  eat  them.  They  generally  produce  only  one 
or  two  young  ones  at  a  time,  which  they  carry  upon 
their  backs ;  they  feed  upon  fish,  worms,  and  insects, 
but  fruit  is  their  general  food,  and  they  grow  fat  when 
it  is  ripe,  when,  it  is  said,  their  flesh  is  good  and  exqui- 
site eating. 

The  Coati  is  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and  its  tail 
is  longer  than  the  head  and  body  measured  together  : 
it  goes  on  all  "ours. 

THL    SAJOU,   OR    CAPUCHIN    MONKEY. 

WE  are  acquainted  with  two  varieties  of  this  spe- 
cies ;  the  Brown  Sajou  commonly  called  the 


AMERICAN    MONKEYS.  277 

Monkey  ;  and  the  Gray  Sajou,  which  only  differs  from 
the  other  in  tbe  colour  of  its  hair  ;  they  are  both  lively, 
active,  and  very  pleasing  by  their  tricks  and  nimble- 
ness.  They  are,  however,  fantastical  in  their  tastes 
and  affections  :  they  seem  to  have  a  strong  inclination 
for  some  people,  and  as  great  an  aversion  for  others. 
They  are  natives  of  French  Guiana.  They  usually 
live  in  troops  of  from  twenty  to  forty  individuals. 
They  often  whistle,  and  when  they  are  enraged  they 
shake  their  heads  violently,  and  utter,  in  a  ferocious 
tone,  the  syllables  Pi,  ca,  rou. 

THE    SAI,    OR    WEEPER. 

WE  have  seen  two  of  these  animals,  which  seem  to 
make  a  variety  in  the  species.  The  hair  of  the  first  it* 
of  a  deep  brown  ;  the  hair  of  the  second,  which  we 
have  called  the  White-throated  Sai,  is  white  on  the 
breast,  neck,  ears,  and  jaws.  Travellers  have  de- 
scribed these  animals  by  the  name  of  Howlers,  from 
their  plaintive  moan.  Others  have  called  them  Musk 
Monkeys,  from  their  having,  like  the  macaque,  that  pe- 
culiar smell.  They  belong  to  the  sapajou  family,  as 
they  have  a  holding  tail  :  they  have  only  two  teats, 
and  bring  forth  but  one  or  two  at  a  time.  They  are 
gentle,  docile,  and  so  timorous,  that  their  common  cry, 
which  resembles  that  of  the  cat,  is  dwindled  down  to  a 
kind  of  sighing,  when  they  are  threatened.  Their 
food,  in  this  climate,  is  principally  snails  and  beetles, 
which  they  prefer  before  any  other ;  but  in  their  na- 
tive country  of  Brazil,  they  chiefly  live  upon  grain, 
and  the  wild  fruit  they  pluck  from  trees,  whence  they 
very  seldom  descend  till  they  have  stripped  their  habi- 
tation of  its  treasure. 


THE    SIAMIRA. 

Is  vulgarly  known  by  the  name  of  the  Golden,  Or- 
ange-coloured, or  Yellow  Sapajou.  It  is  common  in 
Guiana,  where  it  is  called  Camiri  by  the  natives.  By 
its  air,  size,  the  brilliant  colour  of  its  coat,  the  fulness 
and  brightness  of  its  eyes,  and  its  small,  round  visage, 
the  Siamira  has  ever  taken  the  lead  of  every  other 
:  it  is,  in  fact,  the  most  beautiful  and  delicate 
OL.  1L-  -24 


278  NATURAL  HJ8TORY. 

of  the  kind,  and  the  most  difficult  to  transport  ami  pre- 
serve  in  other  countries.  Its  tail,  without  being  absolute- 
ly useless  and  weak,  like  that  of  the  sagoin,  is  also  not  so 
muscular  as  that  of  the  sapajou  :  its  tail  may  be  said  to 
be  but  half  holding ;  and  though  it  makes  use  of  it  to 
climb  up  trees,  yet  it  can  neither  strongly  hold,  nor 
firmly  fix  itself  with  it.  It  is  scarcely  more  than  ten 
or  eleven  inches  in  length.  It  sits  upright  on  its  hinder 
feet  with  great  ease :  but  it  walks  commonly  on  all 
fours. 

Captain  Stedman  tells  us,  that  he  daily  saw  them 
passing  along  the  sides  of  the  river,  in  regular  order, 
with  their  young  at  their  backs,  looking  not  unlike 
small  knapsacks.  The  foremost  of  them  leaps  from 
the  extremity  of  one  bough  to  that  of  another,  which 
is  often  at  a  surprising  distance,  and  so  active  are  these 
animals,  and  so  well  do  they  measure  the  intervening 
space,  that  he  never  misses  his  aim.  All  the  rest  fol- 
•o\v  him  in  succession  ;  and  even  the  females,  burdened 
is  they  are  with  the  young  ones,  which  cling  closely 
»o  the  mother's  back,  perform  the  same  leap  with  equal 
lafety. 

THE    SAKl, 

COMMONLY  called  the  Fox-tailed  Monkey,  from  its 
tail  being  clothed  with  very  long  hair,  is  the  largest  of 
the  sagoin  kind,  being  about  seventeen  inches  long, 
whereas  the  size  of  the  five  other  sagoins  is  not  above 
nine  or  ten.  The  Saki  has  very  long  hair  on  its  body, 
and  still  longer  on  its  tail.  Its  face  is  red,  and  cover- 
ed with  a  whitish  down.  It  is  a  native  of  Guiana,  and 
lives  in  the  woods,  but  is  rare.  The  female  brings  forth 
but  one  offspring  at  a  time. 

THE  TAMARIN,  OR  GREAT-EARED  MONKEY. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  a  native  of  the  hottest  parts 
of  South  America,  is  about  the  size  of  a  squirrel,  and 
has  a  naked  face,  of  a  swarthy  flesh  colour;  its  upper 
lip  somewhat  divided ;  its  ears  are  very  large  and 
erect ;  its  hair  is  soft,  shaggy,  and  of  a  black  colour  : 
the  hands  and  feet  are  covered  with  orange-coloured 
hair,  very  fine  and  smooth ;  its  nails  are  long  and 
crooked  ;  and  the  »ail  is  black,  clothed  with  short  hair. 


AMERICAN    MONKEYS.  279 

and  twice  the  length  of  its  body.  It  is  a  lively,  pleasant 
animal ;  easily  tamed  ;  but  so  delicate,  that  it  cannot 
bear  a  removal  to  a  less  temperate  climate. 

THE    WISTITI,  OR    STRIATED    MONKEY. 

THE  name  of  this  animal  is  taken  from  the  sound  ol 
its  voice.  It  is  smaller  than  the  tamarin,  being  not 
above  six  inches  long,  and  its  tail  more  than  double 
that  length,  which  is  annulated  black  and  white,  like 
the  macaque.  Its  face  is  naked,  and  of  a  flesh  colour. 
It  has  two  very  singular  tufts  of  long  white  hair  on  the 
fore  part  of  the  ears,  which,  although  very  large,  can- 
not be  seen  by  looking  at  the  full  face  of  this  animal. 
Mr.  Edwards  says,  that,  when  it  is  in  good  health,  it 
has  much  hair  and  tufted  ;  that  one  of  those  which  he 
saw,  and  which  was  healthy,  fed  on  several  things,  as 
biscuits,  fruit,  pulse,  insects,  snails ;  and,  being  one 
day  unchained,  he  struck  at  a  little  gold  fish  which  was 
in  a  glass  globe,  killed  it,  and  devoured  it  with  the 
greatest  avidity;  that  afterwards,  some  small  eels 
being  put  before  him,  he  was  frightened  when  the} 
twisted  about  his  neck,  but  that  he  soon  conquered  and 
eat  them.  It  is  a  great  enemy  to  cats.  These  animals,- 
when  young,  have  an  ugly  appearance,  having  scarcely 
any  hair  on  their  bodies.  They  cling  closely  to  the 
teats  of  their  dam  ;  and  as  they  grow  older,  they  fix 
themselves  on  her  back  or  shoulders ;  when  she  is 
weary  of  carrying  them,  she  releases  herself  by  rubbing 
against  the  wall. 

The  Striated  Monkey  is  of  a  hardy  nature,  and  has 
sometimes  produced  young  ones  in  Europe,  even  as 
far  to  the  north  as  Paris.  Most  of  the  individuals  have 
a  somewhat  musky  smell.  The  voice  is  a  kind  of 
shrill  hissing  whistle. 

THE    MARIKINA 

Is  sufficiently  known  by  the  vulgar  name  of  the  Small 
Lion  Monkey.  It  is  about  eight  inches  long,  and  has  a 
small  tuft  of  hair  at  the  end  of  the  tail ;  its  hair  is  tufted, 
long,  soft,  and  glossy;  the  head  is  round;  the  face  is 
brown  ;  the  eyes  red  ;  the  ears  round,  naked,  and  con- 
ceded under  the  long  hair  which  encompasses  the  face. 


380  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

This  hair  is  of  a  bright  red  ,  that  on  the  be  dy  and  tail 
of  a  very  pale  yellow,  approaching  towards  white. 
This  animal  has  the  same  manners,  the  same  vivacity, 
and  the  same  inclination  as  other  sagoins,  and  seems 
to  be  of  a  more  robust  temperament.  We  have  seen 
one  which  lived  nve  or  six  years  at  Paris,  by  the  care 
alone  of  keeping  it,  during  the  winter,  in  a  chamber 
wherein  a  fire  was  kept  every  day.  It  is  a  native  of 
Guiana  and  Brazil,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Rio 
Janeiro,  and  is  a  favourite  pet  of  the  Creoles. 

THE    PINCH,  OR   RED-TAILED    MONKEY, 

Is  about  nine  inches  long;  and  its  tail  is  as  long 
again.  It  is  remarkable  for  a  kind  of  white  and  striped 
hair  on  the  top  and  sides  of  the  head  ;  its  face  is  black, 
shaded  by  a  sMuall  gray  down;  its  eyes  are  black;  its 
tail  of  a  bright  red  at  its  insertion,  and  even  as  far  as 
half  its  length,  where  it  changes  to  a  deep  brown. 
The  hair  of  the  upper  parts  of  the  body  is  of  a  brown 
colour ;  that  of  the  breast,  belly,  hands,  and  feet  is 
white ;  the  skin  is  black,  even  where  covered  with 
white  hair ;  its  throat  is  naked,  and  black,  like  its  face ; 
its  voice  is  soft,  and  resembles  more  the  chirping  of  a 
.little  bird  than  the  cry  of  an  animal ;  it  is  very  delicate, 
and  cannot  be  transported  from  America  into  Europe, 
without  the  greatest  precaution. 

THE    MICO. 

WE  owe  the  knowledge  of  this  animal  to  M.  de  la 
Condaniine,  and  shall  therefore  give  this  author's 
account  of  it,  in  his  Voyage  up  the  Amazon  River. 
"  The  Mico  which  the  governor  of  Para  made  me  a 
present  of,  was  the  only  one  of  its  kind  that  had  been 
seen  in  the  country.  The  hair  of  its  body  was  of  the 
most  beautiful  silver  colour,  its  tail  glossy,  and  ap- 
proaching to  black.  It  had  another  more  remarkable 
singularity;  its  ears,  jaws,  and  snout  were  tinctured 
with  so  bright  a  vermilion  as  scarcely  to  be  thought 
natural.  I  have  had  it  a  year;  and  it  was  alive  at  the 
time  I  was  writing  this  account,  almost  within  sight  of 
the  French  coast,  where  I  hoped  to  have  brought  it 
alive;  but,  notwithstanding  the  continual  precautions 
that  I  took  to  preserve  it  from  the  cold,  yet  the  rigour 
of  the  season  probably  killed  it." 


THE  TARTARIAN  cow.  381 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Tartarian  Cow — The  Tolai — The  Zisel — The 
Zemni — The  Pouch — The  Perouasca — The  Souslik 
— The  Golden-coloured  Mole — The  White  Water 
Rat — The  Guinea  Hog — The  Wild  Boar  of  Cape 
Verd — The  Mexican  Wolf— The  Alco — The  Tayra 
— The  Philander  of  Surinam — The  Akouchi — The 
Tucan — The  Brazilian  Field  Mouse — The  Aperea 
— The  Tapeti — The  Juda  Goat — The  Kanguroo — 
The  Silver-haired  Kanguroo — The  Kanguroo  Rat 
— The  Wombach — The  Duck-billed  Platypus — A 
View  of  the  Animals  peculiar  to  each  Continent 

THE  TARTARIAN  COW. 

MR.  GMELIN,  in  the  new  Memoirs  of  the  Royal  Aca- 
demy at  Petersburg,  has  given  the  description  of  this 
animal,  which  seems,  at  first  sight,  to  be  a  quite  differ- 
ent species  from  all  those  we  have  spoken  of  under 
the  article  of  Buffalo.  "This  cow,"  says  he,  "which 
I  saw  alive,  and  had  painted  in  Siberia,  came  from 
Calmuchia,  and  was  about  the  length  of  two  Russian 
ells  and  a  half;  by  which  model  we  may  judge  of  the 
other  dimensions.  The  body  resembles  that  of  the 
common  cow  ;  the  hair  on  the  body  is  black,  except 
on  the  forehead  and  spine  of  the  back,  where  it  is 
white.  The  neck  is  covered  with  a  mane,  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  body  with  a  very  long  hair,  which  descends 
to  the  knees,  so  that  the  feet  appear  very  short;  the 
back  is  raised  in  the  form  of  a  hunch ;  the  tail  resem- 
bles that  of  a  horse,  white  and  well  clothed  with  hair ; 
the  fore  feet  are  black,  and  the  hinder  ones  white ; 
there  are  two  tufts  of  long  hair,  one  before  and  the 
other  behind.  The  excrements  are  of  a  more  solid 
nature  than  those  of  the  common  cow;  and  it  grunts 
like  a  hog.  It  is  wild,  and  even  ferocious;  for,  except- 
ing the  man  who  feeds  it,  it  buts  all  those  that  come 
near  it  with  its  head  ;  and  it  dislikes  the  company  oi 
domestic  cows."  This  animal,  which  is  called  the 
Yack,  lives  wild  in  the  mountains  of  Thibet,  and  has 
been  domesticated  by  the  Mongols.  Its  tail  is  used  as 
a  standard  by  the  Oriental  nations. 
24*  * 


NATURAL    HISTORY. 


THE  TOLAI. 


THIS  animal,  which  is  very  common  near  Baikal 
Lake,  in  Tartary,  is  in  size  between  a  hare  and  a  rab- 
bit, the  latter  of  which  it  resembles  in  shape,  quality, 
smell,  and  colour,  and  also  in  the  habit  of  burrowing 
in  the  earth  to  conceal  itself.  It  differs  only  in  the 
tail,  which  is  considerably  longer  than  that  of  the  rab- 
bit, and  is  black  above  and  white  underneath.  Its  head 
and  back  are  a  pale  gray,  mingled  with  brown  ;  the 
breast  and  under  part  of  the  body  are  white,  as  are 
also  the  muzzle  and  round  the  eyes. 

THE  ZISEL. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  also  called  the  Earless  Mat 
mot,  is  smaller  than  the  hamster :  its  body  is  long  and 
slender,  like  the  weasel ;  whereas,  that  of  the  hamster 
is  thick  and  compact,  like  that  of  the  rat.  It  has  no 
external  ears,  but  only  auditory  passages  concealed 
under  the  hair.  The  Zisel  is  of  a  grayer,  or  of  a  more 
uniform  colour,  than  the  hamster;  and  the  latter  is 
marked  in  the  fore  part  of  its  body  with  three  large 
white  spots  on  each  side.  These  differences,  joined  to 
that  of  their  not  mixing  together,  though  natives  of  the 
same  country,  are  sufficient  to  leave  us  not  the  least 
room  to  doubt  of  their  being  two  different  species.  It 
inhabits  Russia,  as  far  as  Kamtschatka,  and  the  islands 
between  Asia  and  America ;  it  is  found  also  in  Persia 
and  China,  but  rarely  in  any  part  of  Europe,  except 
Russia.  It  never  frequents  bogs  and  woods,  but  dwells 
in  open,  high,  dry,  and  uncultivated  places,  and  prefers 
turfy  and  loamy  soils,  ne,ar  the  high  roads.  Each  indi- 
vidual has  its  separate  burrow,  in  which  it  lays  up  its 
store  of  winter  provision.  During  the  great  severity 
of  the  frost  it  lies  torpid.  In  size  they  vary  consider- 
ably ;  some  being  as  large  as  the  marmot,  others  no 
bigger  than  the  water  rat.  Their  colour  is  as  various  ; 
but  generally  it  is  a  yellowish  white  on  the  upper 
parts,  and  dirty  white  on  the  belly.  When  the  fur  is 
varied  with  waves  or  small  spots  of  white,  the  animal 
is  the  Souslik,  described  by  Buffon  in  a  subsequent 
page  of  this  chapter. 


THE  POUCH, —  PEROUASCA, 9OUSLIK.  283 


THE  ZEMNI. 

THERE  is  another  animal  in  Poland  and  Russia, 
which  is  called  ziemni,  or  zemni,  of  the  same  race  as 
the  zisel,  but  larger,  stronger,  and  more  mischievous. 
It  is  somewhat  smaller  than  the  domestic  cat;  its  head 
is  large,  its  body  slender,  and  its  ears  short  and  round. 
These  have  four  great  incisive  teeth:  the  two  in  the 
lower  jaw  are  thrice  as  long  as  the  two  in  the  upper. 
The  feet  are  very  short  and  hairy,  divided  into  five 
toes,  and  armed  with  crooked  claws ;  the  hair  is  soft, 
short,  and  of  a  mouse  gray  colour  ;  the  tail  moderately 
large ;  its  eyes  small  and  hid,  like  those  of  the  mole. 
Its  disposition  and  habitudes  are  nearly  the  same  as 
those  of  the  hamster  and  zisel ;  its  bite  is  dangerous ; 
it  eats  greedily,  and  plunders  orchards  and  gardens  ; 
it  burrows  ;  and  lives  upon  grain,  fruit,  and  pulse, 
which  it  stores  in  magazines  for  its  winter  support. 
Pennant  names  this  animal  the  Podolian  Marmot. 

THE  POUCH, 

CALLED  also  the  Surmulot,  is  larger  than  the  do- 
mestic black  rat ;  its  snout  is  long ;  its  fur  is  gray, 
with  brown  above,  and  white  beneath  ;  its  tail  is  almost 
as  long  as  its  body.  It  burrows,  and  commits  depre- 
dations in  the  gardens,  &c.  Though  not  web-footed, 
it  swims  well.  There  are  such  numbers  near  Suraz 
and  in  Volhinia,  that  the  inhabitants  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  culture  of  their  gardens.  Its  native  coun- 
try is  India,  whence  it  was  introduced  into  France  in 
1750,  and  has  since  been  very  common  in  the  seaports. 

THE   PEROUASCA, 

WHICH  the  Russians  call  Perewiaska,  and  the  Po- 
landers  Pizewiaska  (a  name  we  may  translate  the 
cinctured  weasel,)  is  not  so  large  as  a  polecat,  covered 
with  a  whitish  hair,  transversally  striped  of  a  reddish 
colour,  which  stripes  appear  as  so  many  girdles.  It 
lives  in  the  woods,  and  burrows  in  the  earth  ;  its  skin 
is  sought  after,  and  makes  a  very  beautiful  fur. 

THE    SOUSLIK. 

THERE  is  found  at  Casan,  and  in  the  provinces 
which  »he  Volga  pervades,  a  small  animal,  called  -Sow* 


284  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

lib  in  the  Russian  tongue,  of  which  very  beautiful  furs 
are  made.  Its  tail  is  short,  li\e  the  field  mouse :  but 
what  distinguishes  it  from  that  and  every  other  rat,  is 
its  coat,  which  is  of  a  grayish  hue,  sprinkled  with 
small  spots  of  a  glossy  and  bright  white  colour  :  these 
little  spots  are  exceedingly  small,  at  a  small  distance 
from  each  other ;  they  are  more  apparent  upon  the 
loins  of  this  animal  than  on  the  shoulders  and  head. 
"  The  rats  called  Sousliks,"  says  M.  Sanchez,  "  are 
taken  in  great  numbers  on  the  salt  vessels  in  the  river 
Kama,  which  descends  from  Salikamskia,  where  the 
salt  pits  are,  and  falls  into  the  Volga  below  Casan. 
The  Volga,  from  Simbuski  to  Somtoff,  is  covered  with 
these  salt  vessels  ;  and  these  animals  are  taken  on  those 
vessels,  and  the  borders  of  those  rivers  :  their  name  is 
Souslik,  i.  e.  dainty-mouthed,  because  they  are  very 
fond  of  salt." 

THE    GOLDEN-COLOURED    MOLE. 

NOT  to  ornit  any  animals  that  belong  to  the  North, 
we  shall  take  notice  of  a  kind  of  mole  found  in  Sibe- 
ria, called  the  Golden-coloured  Mole,  the  species  of 
which  may  be  different  from  the  ordinary  mole,  be- 
cause the  Siberian  has  no  tail,  and  a  short  snout ;  only 
three  toes  to  the  fore  feet,  and  four  to  the  hinder  ; 
whereas,  the  common  mole  has  five  toes  on  every  foot. 
The  snout  is  shorter  than  that  of  "the  common  mole; 
the  nose  naked  ;  the  head  and  body  about  four  inches 
long  ;  the  fur  above  is  varied  with  glossy  green,  golden 
and  reddish  copper  colour,  the  lower  is  a  cinereous 
brown.  Pennant  calls  it  the  Siberian  Mole,  but  it  is 
also  found  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

THE    WHITE    WATER    RAT. 

THE  European  Water  Rat  is  again  seen  in  Canada, 
but  its  colour  is  different ;  its  back  only  is  brown  ;  the 
rest  of  the  body  is  white  and  brown  :  the  head  and 
snout  are  white,  as  is  the  extremity  of  the  tail ;  the  hair 
seems  softer  and  more  glossy  than  that  of  our  Water 
Rat ;  but  they  are  alike  in  every  other  respect ;  so  that 
we  cannot  doubt  but  that  these  two  animals  are  of 
the  same  species  ;  the  whiteness  of  the  hair  being  pro- 
duced by  the  coldness  of  the  climate. 


THE    INDIAN    HOG ETC. 


THE    GUINEA    HOG 

Is  nearly  of  the  same  figure  as  our  hog,  and  about 
the  same  size  as  the  Siam  hog ;  that  is  to  say,  smaller 
than  our  boar,  or  our  hog.  It  is  a  native  of  Guinea, 
and  has  been  transported  into  Brazil,  where  it  has  mul- 
tiplied, as  in  its  native  country  ;  it  is  domestic  and 
tame  :  its  hair  is  short,  red,  and  glossy  ;  it  has  no  bris- 
tles, not  even  on  the  back ;  the  tail  only,  and  the 
crupper  near  the  tail,  are  covered  with  longer  hair 
than  the  rest  of  the  body :  its  head  is  not  so  large  as 
that  of  our  hog ;  and  its  ears  are  very  long,  and  turned 
backwards  over  its  neck ;  its  tail  is  as  much  longer, 
almost  touching  the  ground ;  and  it  has  no  hair 
towards  its  extremity. 

THE    WILD    BOAR    OF    CAPE    VERD. 

THERE  is  another  hog,  or  wild  boar  in  Africa  which 
is  found  from  Cape  Verd  to  Congo,  and  also  in  Mada- 
gascar. By  the  number  of  its  teeth,  and  enormous 
size  of  its  two  tusks  of  the  upper  jaw,  it  seems  to  be 
of  a  different  breed,  and  perhaps,  of  a  different  spe- 
cies from  every  other  hog,  and  approaches  nearer  the 
babiroussa.  These  tusks  resemble  ivory  horns,  rather 
than  teeth ;  they  are  half  a  foot  long,  and  five  inches 
round  at  the  base,  and  are  crooked  nearly  like  the 
horns  of  a  bull.  This  animal  resides  principally  in 
subterranean  recesses,  which  he  digs  with  his  nose  and 
hoofs  ;  he  is  exceeding  strong,  and  in  his  wild  state  is 
of  a  savage  nature. 

THE   MEXICAN   WO^# 

HAS  the  same  figure,  the  same  appetites,  and  the 
same  habitudes  as  the  European  or  North  American 
wolf;  and  every  thing  seems  to  prove  them  to  be  of 
one  and  the  same  species  ;  its  head  however,  is  larger, 
its  neck  thicker,  and  the  tail  not  so  hairy ;  above  the 
mouth,  there  are  some  thick  bristles,  but  not  so  rough 
as  those  of  the  hedgehog  ;  the  body  is  covered  with 
grayish  hair,  marked  with  some  white  spots  ;  the  head, 
which  is  of  the  same  colour  as  the  body,  is  crossed 


286  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

with  brown  stripes ;  and  the  forehead  is  adorned  with 
fallow  coloured  spots  ;  the  ears  are  of  a  gray  colour, 
like  the  head  and  body.  There  is  a  long  spot,  of  a 
fallow  colour,  on  the  neck;  a  second  spot,  like  the 
first,  on  the  breast;  and  a  third  on  the  belly.  The 
flank  is  marked  with  transversal  lists,  from  the  back  to 
the  belly.  The  tail  is  gray,  and  marked  with  a  fallow 
spot  on  the  middle  :  the  legs  are  striped,  from  top  to 
bottom,  of  a  gray  and  brown  colour.  This  Wolf,  as 
we  observe,  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  kind  ;  and  its 
fur  is  greatly  valued. 

THE    ALCO,    OR    MEXICAN    DOG. 

BESIDES  the  dogs,  says  Fernandez,  which  the  Span- 
iards have  transported  into  America,  we  meet  with 
three  other  species  there,  which  resemble  ours,  both  in 
nature  and  manner,  and  which  do  not  greatly  differ 
from  it  in  form.  The  first,  and  the  longest  of  these 
American  dogs,  is  that  called  Xoloigtcuintli.  What 
is  particularly  remarkable  in  these  animals  is,  their  be- 
ing without  hair,  and  only  covered  with  a  soft,  close 
skin,  marked  with  yellow  and  blue  spots.  The  second 
is  clothed  with  hair,  and,  with  respect  to  its  size,  suffi- 
ciently resembles  our  little  Malta  dogs.  It  is  marked 
with  white,  black,  and  yellow ;  it  is  singular  and  amu- 
sing by  its  deformity,  having  a  hunched  back,  and  an 
exceedingly  short  snout;  so  that  the  head  seems  to 
shoot  immediately  out  of  the  shoulders  ;  it  is  called 
Micuacanens,  from  the  name  of  its  country.  The 
third  kind  of  these  flogs,  called  Techichi,  sufficiently 
resembles  our  little  dogs  ;  but  its  look  is  dull  and 
savage.  The  Americans  eat  their  flesh.  The  word 
Alco  appears  to  be  a  generical  term. 

THE    TAYRA,   OR    GALERA. 

WHICH  Pennant  calls  the  Guinea  Weasel,  is  about 
the  size  of  a  small  rabbit,  and  resembles  the  weasel  or 
the  ferret.  It  burrows  like  those  animals,  and  has  its 
fore  feet  very  strong,  and  considerably  shorter  than 
the  hinder  ones.  Its  snout  is  elongated,  a  little  point- 
ed, and  adorned  with  a  whisker.  The  body  is  oblong, 
and  greatly  resembles  that  of  a  rat ;  it  is  covered  with 


THE    PHILANDER    OF    SURINAM ETC.  287 

blown  hair,  some  of  which  is  pretty  long,  and  in  others 
much  shorter.  It  is  a  native  of  Guinea,  very  common 
about  the  negro  villages,  and  exceedingly  destructive 
to  poultry. 


THE    PHILANDER    OF    SURINAM. 

THIS  animal  belongs  to  the  same  climate,  and  is  of 
a  near  species  to  the  sariga,  marmose,  cayopolin,  and 
phalanger.  It  has  very  sparkling  eyes,  surro.unded 
with  a  circle  of  deep  brown  hair.  The  body  is  covered 
with  a  soft  hair,  or  rather  a  kind  of  wool,  of  a  reddish 
colour,  which  is  fair  on  the  back,  and  of  a  yellowish 
colour  on  the  snout,  forehead,  belly,  and  feet.  The 
feet  resemble  the  hands  of  the  ape  ;  the  fore  feet 
having  four  fingers  and  a  thumb,  with  short  and  obtuse 
nails  ;  whereas,  only  the  thumb,  or  great  toe  of  the 
hinder  feet  is  flat  and  obtuse,  the  rest  being  armed 
with  small,  sharp  claws.  The  young  of  these  animals 
grunt  somewhat  like  a  pig:  they  get  on  the  back  of 
their  dam,  and  fix  themselves  there,  by  fastening  their 
tails  to  hers.  In  this  situation,  which  is  familiar  to 
them,  they  are  carried  with  as  much  safety  as  swift- 
ness. 

THE  AKOUCHI 

Is  common  in  Guiana,  and  other  parts  of  South 
America,  and  inhabits  also  St.  Lucia  and  Grenada.  It 
differs  from  the  agouti  by  having  a  tail.  The  Akouchi 
16  generally  smaller  than  the  agouti;  but  its  hair  is  not 
red.  but  olive. 

THE    TUCAN,    OR    MEXICAN    SHREW, 

Is  a  little  larger  than  our  mole,  and,  like  that,  is  fatand 
fleshy,  with  such  very  short  legs,  that  its  belly  touches 
the  ground.  Its  tail  is  short ;  its  nose  sharp  ;  its  ears 
small  and  round  ;  its  eyes  so  very  small,  that  they  may 
be  said  to  be  useless  ;  but  differs  from  the  mole  in  the 
colour  of  its  hair,  which  is  of  a  reddish  hue,  and  by 
the  number  of  toes,  having  only  three  to  the  fore  feet, 
and  four  to  those  behind.  It  seems  still  farther  to  dif- 
fer from  it,  by  its  flesh  being  good  to  eat.  It  burrows 


288  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

and  makes  such  a  number  of  cavities,  that  travel- 
lers can  scarce  tread  with  safety.  If  it  gets  out  of  its 
hole,  it  knows  not  how  to  return,  but  begins  to  dig 
another. 

THE    FIELD    MOUSE    OF    BRAZIL 

Is  considerably  larger  than  ours,  being  about  five 
inches  from  the  extremity  of  the  snout  to  the  insertion 
of  the  tail,  which  is  only  two  inches,  and,  consequently, 
much  shorter  in  proportion  than  that  of  the  common 
field  mouse.  Its  snout  is  pointed,  and  its  teeth  very 
sharp. 

THE  APEREA. 

THIS  animal,  which  is  found  in  Brazil  and  Paraguay, 
is  neither  a  rabbit  nor  a  rat ;  yet  it  seems  to  partake 
something  of  both.  It  is  about  a  foot  long,  by  seven 
inches  in  circumference.  The  hair  is  of  the  same 
colour  as  our  hares,  but  white  upon  the  belly.  It  has 
also,  like  that  animal,  a  slit  lip,  large  incisive  teeth, 
and  a  whisker  about  the  mouth  ;  but  its  ears  are 
rounded,  like  those  of  a  rat ;  the  fore  legs  are  only 
three  inches  high ;  those  behind  are  longer.  The 
Aperia  has  got  no  tail ;  its  flesh  is  like  that  of  a  rab- 
bit, which  it  resembles  in  its  method  of  living  ;  it  con- 
ceals itself  in  holes,  but  does  not  burrow  like  a  rabbit, 
but  rather  retires  into  the  cavities  of  the  rocks  and 
stones.  It  is  very  easily  taken.  Lesson  states  it  to 
be  the  Guinea  pig  in  its  wild  state. 

THE  TAPETI 

Is  found  in  Brazil,  and  other  parts  of  America.  It 
resembles  the  European  rabbk  in  figure,  and  the  hare 
in  size  and  colour ;  its  ears  very  long,  and  of  the  same 
shape ;  its  hair  is  red  on  the  forehead,  and  whitish  on 
the  throat ;  some  have  a  circle  of  hair  round  the  neck  ; 
they  are  all  white  on  the  throat,  breast,  and  belly ; 
they  have  black  eyes,  and  whiskers  like  the  rabbit,  but 
have  no  tail.  The  Tapeti  resembles  the  hare  in  its 
method  of  living,  fecundity,  and  the  quality  of  its  flesh, 
which  is  excellent  food.  It  lives  in  the  fields  or  woods, 
like  the  hare,  and  does  not  burrow  like  the  rabbit. 


THE    JUDA    GOATS RANQUROO.  28ft 


THE   JUDA    GOATS 

AKB  considered  by  our  Author  as  only  varieties  of 
the  common  goat.  One  species  has  short,  smooth, 
erect  horns,  curved  a  little  forwards,  and  is  about  the 
size  of  <i  kid  of  a  year  old.  The  other  is  also  of  a  dwarf- 
ish size,  but  of  quite  different  horns.  They  are  very 
thick,  rounded  on  the  upper  surface,  with  two  sharp 
edges  below;  and  bent  backwards,  with  a  slight  spiral 
twist  downwards,  outwards,  and  upwards. 

THE    KANGUROO. 

THERE  exist  several  species  of  the  Kanguroo,  all  of 
which  are  natives  of  New  Holland.  The  principal  of 
these  is  the  Great  Kanguroo,  which  was  first  discov- 
ered in  1770,  by  some  of  the  persons  who  accompa- 
nied Captain  Cook.  It  often  measures  nine  feet  in 
length  from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the  tail, 
and  when  full  grown,  weighs  two  hundred  pounds. 
The  head  and  neck  are  very  small,  while  the  lower 
parts  gradually  dilate  to  a  very  great  size;  the  fore 
legs  are  hardly  nineteen  inches  long,  while  the  hinder 
ones,  which  are  perfectly  bare  and  callous  beneath, 
measure  three  feet  seven  inches.  The  head  bears 
some  resemblance  to  that  of  the  deer,  having  a  mild 
and  placid  visage ;  the  ears  are  moderately  large  and 
erect,  the  eyes  full,  and  the  mouth  rather  small.  The 
general  colour  is  a  pale  brown,  inclining  to  white 
underneath.  From  the  great  difference  in  length  of 
the  fore  and  hind  legs,  the  pace  of  this  animal  consists 
in  vast  springs,  or  bounds,  which  are  said  at  times  to 
exceed  twenty  feet  in  length.  It  can  with  ease  leap 
over  an  obstacle  above  nine  feet  high.  In  its  state  of 
rest,  it  sits  erect  on  the  whole  length  of  the  hind  feet, 
supporting  itself  by  the  base  of  the  tail ;  which  is  occa- 
sionally used  as  a  weapon  of  defence,  and  is  of  such 
prodigious  strength  as  to  be  able  to  break  the  leg  of  a 
mail  at  a  single  blow.  The.  female  seldom  produces 
more  than  one  young  one  at  a  birth,  which,  when  first 
brought  forth,  is  not  above  an  inch  long,  and  is  received 
into  an  abdominal  pouch,  that  the  female  is  furnished 
with,  which  conceals  the  teats,  and  serves  as  a  recep- 
tacle to  secure  the  young  in  time  of  danger. 
VOL.  II  —25 


t90  NATURAL    HISTORY. 


THE    8ILYER-HAIRED    KANOUROO 

Is  considerably  smaller  than  the  former,  &nd  distin 
guished  by  the  delicacy  of  its  limbs  and  the  siperioi 
fineness  of  its  hair. 

THE    RAT    KANOUROO 

DIFFERS  from  the  common  species  in  being  only  the* 
size  of  a  rabbit.  The  colour  is  brown,  with  long  coarse 
hair,  ash-coloured  beneath ;  the  ears  are  more  rounded, 
and  there  are  only  four  toes  on  the  fore  feet.  On  each 
side  of  the  upper  lip  are  several  long  whiskers,  which 
are  wanting  in  the  Great  Kanguroo  ;  the  head  is  rather 
flattened  sideways,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the 
animal  is  far  less  elegant  and  pleasing. 

The  habits  of  the  Kanguroo  have  been  recently 
described,  with  equal  animation  and  fidelity,  by  Mr. 
Cunningham,  in  his  amusing  and  valuable  account  of 
his  Two  Years'  Residence  in  South  Wales. 

"Our  largest  animals  (says  he)  are  Kanguroos ;  all 
of  which  are  fine  eating,  being  clear  of  fat  except  about 
the  tail,  tasting  much  like  venison,  and  making  most 
delicious  stews  and  steaks,  the  favourite  dish  being 
what  is  called  a  steamer,  composed  of  steaks  and 
chopped  tail  (with  a  few  slices  of  salt  pork)  stewed 
with  a  very  small  quantity  of  water  for  a  couple  of 
hours  in  a  close  vessel.  We  have  the  forest  Kanguroo, 
of  a  gray  colour,  with  a  longish  fur,  inhabiting  the 
forests ;  the  Wallaroo,  of  a  blackish  colour,  with  a 
coarse  shaggy  fur,  inhabiting  the  hills  ;  and  the  red 
Kanguroo,  with  smooth,  short,  close  fur,  of  a  reddish 
colour  (resembling  considerably  in  fineness  and  texture 
the  fur  of  the  sea  otter),  inhabiting  the  open  forests  ; 
and  all  of.  these  varieties  attain  the  weight  of  two 
hundred  pounds  and  upwards  when  full  grown.  The 
Wallabee  and  Paddymalla  grow  to  about  sixty  pounds 
each,  and  inhabit  the  bushes  and  broken  r'lly  country. 
The  rock  Kanguroo  is  very  small,  living  among  the 
rockiest  portions  of  the  mountains ;  while  the  Kangu- 
roo rat,  or,  more  properly,  r.ibbit,  is  about  the  size  of 
the  smallest  of  the  latter  kind  of  animal,  and  lodges  io 


THE   KANGUKOO.  291 

kollow  trees,  hopping  along,  like  the  other  Kangaroos, 
with  great  speed,  and  affording  good  sport  in  the  chase. 
The  Kanguroos  make  no  use  of  their  short  fore  legs 
except  in  grazing,  when  they  rise  upon  them  and  their 
tail,  bring  their  hind  legs  forward,  and  go  nibbling 
upon  all  fours,  pulling  up  occasionally  some  favourite 
plant  with  their  fore  paw,  and  sitting  up  bold  and  erect 
upon  their  hind  houghs  and  tail,  while  they  slowly 
bite  and  nibble  it,  shifting  it  from  paw  to  paw,  like  a 
boy  protracting  his  repast  on  a  juicy  apple.  When 
chased,  they  hop  upon  their  hind  legs,  bounding  .on- 
wards at  a  most  amazing  rate,  the  tail  wagging  as  they 
leap,  and  serving  them  for  a  balance.  They  will  bound 
over  gullies,  and  down  declivities,  the  distance  of  thirty 
yards,  and  fly  right  over  the  tops  of  low  brushwood ; 
so  that,  in  such  places,  dogs  stand  very  little  chance 
with  them ;  but  in  a  clear  open  country  soon  tire  them 
out.  The  dogs  seize  them  generally  by  the  hip,  and 
throw  them  over;  then  fasten  upon  their  throats  and 
finish  them.  But  few  dogs  will  attack  a  large  Kanguroo 
singly,  some  of  the  two  hundred  weight  size  often 
hopping  off  with  three  or  four  assailants  hanging  about 
them ;  and  I  was  informed  of  one  that  actually  carried 
a  man  to  some  distance.  When  a  dog  gets  up  close 
to  a  large  Kanguroo,  it  will  often  sit  upon  its  tail  and 
•haunches,  aad  fight  the  dog,  turning  adroitly  round  and 
round  (so  as  always  to  face  him),  and  pushing  him  off 
with  the  fore  paws ;  or  it  will  seize  and  hug  him  like 
a  bear,  ripping  him  up  with  the  long  sharp  claw  on  its 
powerful  hind  leg.  They  are  constantly  indeed  cutting, 
and  often  killing,  dogs  with  this  terrible  weapon,  which 
will  tear  out  the  bowels  at  a  single  kick;  and  a  large 
Kanguroo  is,  on  this  account,  very  dangerous  even  for 
a  man  to  approach,  when  set  at  bay.  The  Kanguroo 
hunters  immediately  hamstring  them  when  thrown,  to 
prevent  injury  to  themselves  or  the  dogs ;  while  the 
black  natives  give  them  a  heavy  blow  over  the  loins 
with  their  waddie,  which  completely  paralyzes  their 
hind  legs,  as  all  the  large  nerves  supplying  these  parts 
pass  out  there.  The  Kanguroo  has  only  one  young 
at  a  time,  which  you  may  see  attached  by  the  mouth  to 
the  nipple  inside  the  mother's  pouch  from  the  period 
it  is  the  size  of  your  thumb  top,  and  as  bare  and^un- 
•hapen  as  a  new-born  mouse,  until  it  attains  the  size 


292  KATURAL    HISTORY. 

of  a  poodle-dog,  with  a  fine  glossy  coat  of  hair,  ready 
to  leap  out  and  hop  along  after  the  mother.  The 
young  are  attached  by  the  mouth  to  the  nipple  in  some- 
what the  same  way  as  the  placenta  of  other  animals  is 
attached  to  the  uterus,  the  mouth  being  contracted 
round  the  nipple,  which  swells  out  like  a  cherry  inside 
it,  nourishing  the  foetus  by  means  of  absorption  through 
this  indirect  channel,  the  mouth  and  nipple  adhering 
so  strongly  that  it  requires  considerable  force  to  sepa- 
rate them.  When  the  foetus  arrives  at  sufficient  age 
to  suck,  it  drops  off  the  nipple,  and  may  then  be  said 
to  be  born,  yet  still  continuing  inside  of  the  pouch, 
and  sucking  milk  now  through  the  ducts  of  that  same 
nipple  from  the  external  surface  of  which  it  formerly 
derived  a  very  different  species  of  nourishment.  The 
manner  in  which  the  young  reach  this  pouch  from  the 
ovary,  and  attach  themselves  to  the  nipple,  is  still,  I 
believe,  a  mystery,  as  no  communicative  duct  has  yet 
been  found ;  but  the  natives  assert  they  are  born  in 
the  usual  way,  and  that  the  mother  places  them  there. 
It  is  amazing  to  see  the  young  Kanguroo  pop  its  head 
out  of  the  pouch  when  the  mother  is  grazing,  and 
nibble  too  at  the  tender  herbage  which  she  is  passing 
over.  When  hard  hunted,  the  mother  will  stop  sud- 
denly, thrust  her  fore  paws  into  her  pouch,  drag  out 
the  young  one  and  throw  it  away,  that  she  may  hop* 
lighter  along.  They  are  always  very  hard  pressed, 
however,  before  they  thus  sacrifice  the  life  of  their 
offspring  to  save  their  own ;  and  it  is  pitiful  to  see  the 
tender  sympathetic  looks  they  will  sometimes  cast 
back  at  the  poor  little  helpless  creatures  they  have 
been  forced  to  desert.  From  this  singular  mode  of 
gestation,  you  may  handle  the  fcetus  in  tifero,  and  pull 
it  about  by  the  tail  like  a  kitten,  from  the  first  moment 
of  its  appearance  there  up  to  the  very  day  of  its  birth, 
without  causing  either  pain  or  annoyance  to  it  or  its 
mother.  Such  is  the  very  singular  manner  in  which 
nearly  all  our  Australian  quadrupeds  are  generated  and 
brought  forth.  When  the  young  Kanguroo  has  attained 
a  considerable  size,  it  will  crawl  out,  feed  about,  and 
creep  in  again  to  warm  itself,  or  in  case  any  danger 
approaches.  The  Kanguroos  feed  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  the  dew  is  on  the  grass,  which  is  the  best 
time  to  hunt  them.  If  there  is  no  dog  in  your  pack 


THE    KAXGUROO.  293 

that  will  show  the  game,  you  must  keep  sight  of  the 
dogs  at  full  gallop  to  secure  it,  or  else  take  out  a  little 
short-legged  terrier,  that  will  run  the  foot,  and  that 
you  can  readily  keep  sight  of  till  it  reaches  the  others, 
otherwise  you  may  "  lose  all  your  sport,  as  few  of  our 
dogs  give  tongue  either  in  the  chase  or  at  the  death. 
If  there  is  a  river  or  pond  near,  the  Kanguroos  are 
sure  to  retreat  thither  when  hard  pressed,  and  in  this 
way  readily  baffle  the  natives'  dogs,  by  shoving  under 
water  and  drowning  such  as  may  venture  in  beside 
them.  From  the  great  length  of  their  hind  legs  and 
tail,  they  are  enabled  to  stand  on  the  firm  bottom  while 
the  dogs  are  obliged  to  swim ;  and  in  this  way  a  fight 
between  a  large  Kanguroo  and  a  pack  of  dogs  affords 
a  most  amusing  spectacle.  The  Kanguroo  stands 
gravely  upright,  with  his  fore  paws  spread  out  before 
him,  wheeling  round  and  round  to  ward  off  his  assail- 
ants ;  and  whenever  one  arrives  within  his  reach,  he 
pounces  his  paws  upon  him,  and  sousing  him  suddenly 
under,  holds  him  fast  in  this  .position,  gazing  all  the 
while  around  with  the  most  solemn  simpleton  sort  of 
aspect,  heedless  of  the  kicking  and  sprawling  of  his 
victim,  whom  he  quickly  puts  an  end  to,  if  some 
courageous  colleague  does  not  in  good  time  advance  to 
its  aid,  and  force  the  Kanguroo  to  let  his  half-drowned 
antagonist  bob  above  water  again,  who  paddles  forth- 
with towards  shore,  shaking  his  ears  and  looking  most 
piteously,  with  no  inclination  to  venture  in  a  second 
time,  notwithstanding  all  the  halloos  and  cheerings 
with  which  you  urge  him." 

The  Kanguroo  may  be  domesticated.  "  One  of  the 
largest  tame  Kanguroos  I  have  seen  in  this  country 
(says  Mr.  Cunningham)  is  domesticated,  and  a  mis- 
chievous wag  he  is,  creeping  and  snuffing  cautiously 
towards  a  stranger,  with  such  an  innocently  expressive 
countenance,  that  roguery  could  never  be  surmised  to 
exist  under  it ;  when,  having  obtained,  as  he  thinks,  H. 
sufficient  introduction,  he  claps  his  fore  paws  on  your 
shoulders  (as  if  to  caress  you,)  and  raising  himself 
suddenly  upon  his  tail,  administers  such  a  well  put 
push  with  his  hind  legs,  that  it  is  two  to  one  but  he 
drives  you  heels  over  head !  This  is  all  done  in  what 
he  considers  facetious  play,  with  a  view  of  giving  you 
a  hint  to  examine  your  pockets,  and  see  what  Ion  lont 


IfATURAL    HISTORY. 


you  have  got  for  him,  as  he  munches  cakes  and  comnU 
with  epicurean  gout  •  and  if  the  door  is  ajar,  he  will 
gravely  take  his  station  behind  your  chair  at  meal 
time,  like  a  lackey,  giving  you  an  admonitory  kick 
every  now  and  then,  if  you  fail  to  help  him  as  well  as 
yourself." 


THB    WOMBACH. 

THIS  animal  is  a  native  of  New  South  Wales,  and 
was  discovered  in  the  year  1798.  It  is  about  the  size 
of  a  badger,  a  species  of  which  it  was  supposed  to  be, 
from  its  dexterity  in  burrowing  in  the  earth  by  means 
of  its  fore  paws  ;  but,  in  its  general  motions,  it  appeared 
to  have  much  of  the  habits  and  manners  of  a  bear.  It 
has  a  large  head,  a  broad  forehead,  a  face  tapering  to 
the  nose,  which  is  a  hard,  gristly  substance,  well  adapt- 
ed for  removing  the  earth  when  it  burrows  :  each  jaw 
has  two  cutting  teeth,  long  and  sharp  like  those  of  a 
kanguroo,  with  a  space,  of  an  inch  between  them  and 
the  grinders,  which  are  strong  and  well  set.  From  the 
structure  of  its  teeth,  it  does  not  appear  to  be  a  car- 
nivorous animal:  its  eyes  are  small  and  black;  its  eais 
short  and  pointed.  The  paws  are  something  like  a 
beaver's,  with  which  it  runs  so  awkwardly  that  a  man 
could  easily  overtake  it.  Its  posteriors  differ  from 
most  other  animals,  by  falling  down  in  a  sloping  direc- 
tion, commencing  at  the  hip  joint,  and  descending  to 
the  knee  joint  of  the  hind  legs  :  its  tail  is  so  short  that 
it  is  scarcely  perceivable.  The  general  colour  is  of  a 
cream-brown,  intermixed  with  black  hairs.  The  female, 
like  most  other  animals  of  New  South  Wales,  is  dis- 
tinguished by  a  pouch  or  false  belly  for  its  young.  The 
flesh  is  considered  by  the  natives  as  a  great  luxury. 

THE    DUCK-BILLED    PLATYPUS. 

NEW  HOLLAND,  which,  among  other  living  curiosi- 
ties, has  supplied  us  with  that  rara  avis  the  black  swan, 
is  also  the  country  that  produces  this  anomalous  ani- 
mal, one  of  the  strangest  sports  of  nature,  as  it  com- 
bines the  bill  of  a  bird  with  the  usual  characteristics  of 
a  quadruped.  So  singular  is  this  union,  that  it  was  at 
first  supposed  to  b«  the  trick  of  some  person,  for  the 


THK    DUCK-BILLED    PLATYPUS.  295 

purpose  of  imposing  on  collectors.  Whon  the  creature 
was  first  discovered,  it  received  the  allusive  name  of 
Ornithorynchus  Paradoxicus ;  but  it  has  since  been 
denominated  the  Platypus  Anatinus,  or  Duck-billed 
Platypus.  It  has  a  depressed  body,  somewhat  resem- 
bling that  of  an  otter  in  miniature,  which  is  covered 
with  a  soft  fur,  dark  brown  above,  and  of  a  ferruginous 
white  beneath.  The  head  is  flattish,  and  the  snout  so 
exactly  resembles  that  of  some  broad-billed  species  of 
duck,  that  it  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  such.  The 
tail  is  flat,  furry,  and  of  the  same  colour  as  the  body. 
The  length  of  the  whole  animal,  from  the  tip  of  the 
beak  to  that  of  the  tail,  is  thirteen  inches ;  of  the  beak 
an  bch  and  a  half.  The  legs  are  very  short,  and  ter- 
minate in  a  broad  web,  which  on  the  fore  feet  extends 
to  a  considerable  distance  beyond  the  claws;  but  on 
the  hind  feet  reaches  no  farther  than  the  roots  of  the 
claws.  On  the  upper  part  of  the  head,  on  each  side, 
a  little  beyond  the  beak,  are  situated  two  oval  white 
spots,  in  the  lower  part  of  each  of  which  the  eyes  are 
embedded. 

From  the  general  form  of  this  animal,  and  particu- 
larly its  bill  and  webbed  feet,  it  may  naturally  be  con- 
cluded, that  it  resides  in  watery  situations ;  that  it  has 
the  habit  of  digging  or  burrowing  in  the  banks  of  rivers 
or  under  ground  ;  and  that  its  food  consists  of  aquatic 
plants  and  animals. 

After  so  copious  a  history  of  quadrupeds  as  that  which 
has  just  been  submitted  to  our  readers,  a  very  few  words 
appear  necessary  to  complete  the  Natural  History  of  that 
class  of  animals. 

On  one  topic  only  we  shall  therefore  enlarge.  It 
has  been  frequently  intimated,  that  a  material  difference 
exists  between  the  animals  of  the  Old  and  the  New 
Continent.  While  America  far  exceeds  us  in  the  size 
of  its  reptiles,  it  is  far  inferior  in  its  quadruped  produc- 
tions. In  effect,  so  materially  different  are  many  of 
them  found  which  inhabit  the  New  Continent,  from 
those  of  the  0*ld,  that,  though  we  have  generally  noted 
the  country  of  the  animal  we  have  described,  yet  we 
conceived  that  it  might  not  be  unsatisfactory  to  the 
reader,  if  we  endeavoured  to  exhibit  a  synopsis  of 
the  quadrupeds  whbh  are  peculiar  to  each  Continent. 


290  NATURAL    HISTORY. 

In  pursuing  this  plan,  we  have  made  two  columns ; 
the  one  for  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  the  other  for 
America.  When  we  have  found  an  animal  of  the  New 
Continent  resembling  nearly  that  of  the  Old,  we  have 
placed  it  opposite  in  the  same  line ;  and  those  which 
are  common  to  both  we  have  placed  in  the  middle,  be- 
tween the  two  columns. 


Europe,  Asia,  Africa,        Common  to  all.  America. 

Elephant 

Rhinoceros Tapir  . 

Hippopotamus 

Camel       Llama 

Dromedary Paco 

Camelopard 

Lion Puma 

Tiger Jaguar 

Panther Cougar 

Leopard Jaguarette 

Ounce Mountain  Cat 

Zebra 

{Though not  origin* .;/ 
found  there,  horses 
and  asses  are  now 
plenty  in  America. 

Ox (  These  also  are   now 

Buffalo )      numerous. 


Sheep    .    ;         ( These  also   are  now 

Goat v    ( produced  in  America. 

Hog Now  produced  there. 

Peccary 

Guinea  Hog Now  produced  there. 

Dog Now  produced  there. 

Alco 
Goschig 


Jackal 

Porcupine Urson 

Couanda 

Genet 

Civets A  species  of  them  ia 

said  to  have  been 
found  there  origin- 
ally. 


QUADRUPEDS    OF    EACH    COCN'JRT.  297 

Europe,  Asia,  Africa,      Common  to  all.  America. 

Cat       Now  produced  there- 
Antelope 
Guinea  Stag 
Chamois 
Ibex 
Musk 

Babbit Now  produced  there. 

Tapeti 
Ferret 

Rat      . Now  produced  there. 

Aperea 

Mouse .  Brazilian  Field  Mouse 

Fat  Squirrel 
Garden  Squirrel 
Ichneumon 
Badger 

Sable .    .  Pekan 

Ermine Vison 

Stinkards 
Jerboa 
Maki 

Several  species  of  Monkeys     .    .    .    .  Sapajou  and  Sagoas 

Racoon 
Cabiai 
Tajacou 

Pangolin  and  Phategin Ant-eaters 

Sloth 

Rain-deer Cariacou 

Couandou 
Agouti 
Coati 
Opossum 
Pacps 

Indian  Hog 
Cavy 
Armadillo 
Kanguroo 
Rat 

Rain-deer 
Stag 
Bear 
Roebuck 
Hare 
Squirrel 
Hedgehog 
Otter 
Marmot 

Shrew  Mouse       Mexican  Shrew 
M»le 


208 


KATL'RAL    BISTORT. 


Europe,  Asia,  Africa.     Common  to  all. 
Beaver 
Wolf 
Fox 
Weasel 
Ermine 
Pine  Weasel 
Polecat 
Lynx 
Seal 
Walrus 
Roebuck 
Elk 
Glutton 

Pouch, Dormouse 


America. 


Mexican  Wolf 
Tayra 


Mazame 


Ondatra 


Of  the  two  hundred  species  of  Quadrupeds  which 
Buffon  supposes  to  exist,  he  calculates,  that  about 
ninety  are  original  inhabitants  of  the  Old  Continent, 
and  about  seventy  of  the  New,  and  that  forty  may  be 
accounted  common  to  both.  Since  the  period  when 
he  wrote,  the  number  of  species  has  been  much  in 
creased. 


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